


Inevitable

by aliciutza



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Forbidden Love, Secret Relationship, and i really wanted to put Dany in a dress, and so are sam and gilly, angst with a lot of fluff and love, because that's how i love my angst, but with a twist, did i mention jon is in a tux and they are at a fancy party, don't at me if you're hurt, i am updating the tags as i go, i wish i could put into the rs tags everyone but then it takes out the surprise of the reveal, if you're too fragile just back out now there's still time, it's not what you think it is, join me and my law school puns, jon and dany are law students if that's something you wanted to see maybe it was just me, people deserve second chances it's called growth look it up, plans rarely go as you imagined, robb is a fuckboi but we still love him, sansa is living her best life, soft moments together are the best, theon is a jerk but he's our jerk and we also love him, this is fic is waaaay too much inspired from rl jfc someone stop me, this is my fave trope fight me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-07-14 08:55:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16037129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliciutza/pseuds/aliciutza
Summary: Modern AU Jonerys - a bit of lusting in a crowded ballroom, the tiniest bit of jealous!Jon, a lot of anticipation, and some kissing.This has now turned into a multichapter fic, so enjoy! :)





	1. Inevitable

**Author's Note:**

> So... yeah, this is my first fic ever. I know I was moaning a few days back about more myth fics in the Jonerys fandom, but this is not it. Let's just say that it started with a song that brought on a memory and from there my mind kept it rolling. I tried ignoring it for one hour until I finally started typing on my phone on the public transport (let's hope nobody glanced at my phone...). I said I'd post it if it looked good in the morning light - which it did (at least in my opinion). Enough rambling. On with it! Enjoy - and let me know if you liked it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Daenerys have a secret. This is the story of how they met and how they got themselves into this mess. 
> 
> Edit: Moodboards have been added for each chapter - enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What started as a one-shot evolved in a longer story. So join me on finding out how they got to events of chapter 1. This chapter can also be read just as a one shot, as it was initially intended.

Everything about tonight was wrong. The music so loud she could feel it low in her belly, the people trying to make small talk with her, the never-ending questions about her welfare and her future, all culminating in the fake smile she had to plaster on her face. With every lagging minute, the towering walls of the ballroom were inching closer and closer on her. She could feel the bodice of her dress wrapping itself around her torso. Tighter. Tighter. Tighter.

From the corner of her eye, she could see someone walking towards her; she involuntarily turned her gaze towards them, while trying to maintain some degree of consciousness directed to the conversation she was already struggling to entertain. Black curls. But not the right ones.

'Breathe.'

The minutes cruelly dragged on, her hands suddenly itching to check the time. Yet she fought it, since nothing good could come out of it. She regained her awareness just in time to answer Gilly’s question - “I was sure you wouldn’t come. I’m not complaining, I’m just wondering what happened.” Her answer came out more casual than intended, “My schedule cleared up. I’m glad I came,” she lied.

They had no clue. She was so good at this; too good. Her inner agitation masterfully hidden behind a fancy dress and a radiant smile. The bodice tightened its grip on her, serving as a reminder of all the marks she was carrying on her soul. So she squared her shoulders and carried on her conversation with the other guests. Too many faces looking at her. Except the right one. On top of everything, she had to endure casual questions regarding his whereabouts. She bit on the inside of her cheeks just to give a semblance of a normal tone.

'Breathe'.

Meaningless questions asked by meaningless people she'll never have to see again. A server passed right by her; on an impulse, she swiped a glass of champagne. She probably shouldn't. Alcohol would make it worse - she knew it. The cold liquid hurt her insides and seeped into her muscles.

'Breathe.'

But the air in the room didn't seem to want to enter her lungs. Her eyes were trying their best to focus on the shimmery mosaic floor until a pair of shiny jet black shoes came into view. Her breath hitched, hoping for the best.

"Ma’am, may I take your glass?"

Not the right voice. She nodded, praying that she was smiling. Her fidgeting was making her slowly break a sweat, the constricting bodice now the only thing real enough to anchor her into the world. Then she felt it. His hand on her lower back, seemingly innocent, but the meaning of it only known to them. She stopped breathing.

"Daenerys." Time stopped. There was no noise, no people, nothing. Just him. She closed her eyes, her body already betraying her by leaning into his touch. She prayed to all the gods she didn't believe in that their interaction seemed normal enough from the outside. He dared greet her only as a best friend would. He was playing dirty. If only there were rules one could impose mid-game. The kisses he left on each of her cheeks were chipping at her, leaving yet again his mark on her skin. His perfume invaded her senses, taking her back to the previous night.

She couldn't bring herself to say his name back. In moments like these, she wondered whether she had this effect on him, whether his name falling off her lips could make him as weak in the knees as it did her.

He was doing it on purpose, his smirk disappearing as quickly as it came. He directed his attention to the people around her, starting more meaningless discussions, keeping up the illusion. If he was the magician, she was to play the assistant, flashy dress included. All eyes on her, but failing to discover his secret lingering touches oh her back.

As if on cue, Daario materialised, his intentions obvious.

“May I, please?” She felt him tense - his jaw setting - it was barely there, but she could tell, the intimation threatening to uncover their illusion. Daario pulled on her hand, so she danced.

They weren't even that close, yet she felt herself suffocating. Daario's hands felt wrong on her skin. They wouldn't fit in the indentations he left on her, the strange body not seamlessly moulding to her own. The melody was lost on her, the only thing she could concentrate on was over Daario’s shoulder. She could clearly distinguish his shaking hands as he reached for a champagne flute. She knew the desperation all too well. Without thinking, she drew closer to Daario, cursing her situation, encircling him completely, needing to keep her own hands busy. Her little number made him drain the glass a bit too hastily, immediately reaching for another. Daario pulled back and spun her; she rushed through the familiar steps to get back to her initial position, only to find that he was missing. Disappointment churned her stomach and she had to close her eyes, just to will the traitorous tears back in their place. As Daario pulled her closer, she dared open her eyes, only to find him back in her line of sight, but closer, and enveloped in the arms of a redhead. Air released from her lungs, betraying her instant relief. He was looking at her, just at her. Then he dared mouth her name; like casting an ancient spell, everything around them disappeared. They were alone in the ballroom, so close that she could almost touch him, his perfume filling her lungs, her skin electrifying under his scrutiny; she felt frail - betrayed by her own body yet again.

“You ok?” Daario asked - breaking her from his hypnotising eyes.

She hastily invoked a bathroom break, just managing to pull her train over an arm, before gliding through the other couples on the dance floor, finally disappearing in the lobby.

Her feet carried her in the endlessly extending French gardens at the back of the estate. There was quite a crowd since it seemed to be the only place accommodating smokers. She mumbled some excuse about needing air to the loud group that tried including her in their conversation.

Finding a bench in front of the fountain depicting Hades and Persephone in an intimate embrace, she let herself collapse on it. Desperately refraining from touching him was daunting enough, without all the added coveting in inappropriate places. Her smile was bitter - in the beginning, the days were hard, the nights - worse. Now he was giving her all his nights, but barely any of his days - at least not the days when they were surrounded by people.

All those kisses stolen in dark corners; scorching stares shared in public; electrifying touches under their friends’ eyes. The first time he saw her dressed to the nines; their first embrace; the first time he called her ‘Dany’; the first time they said ‘I love you’; their first goodbye; their first reunion. More than half of their sacred moments out in plain sight, but somehow still concealed.

The air shifted around her - as she was about to turn, a black jacket enveloped her in the all too familiar perfume. He circled the bench, stopping in front of her - leaning on the delicate iron fence surrounding the fountain, just barely out of her touch.

“I thought you might be cold. Are you ok?” He asked, adjusting his cuff links.

Her heart seized at the sound of his voice, his concern obvious. “I'm ok. Just one of those days, I guess,” she said, finally lifting her nose out if his jacket.

“You looked like you were enjoying your dance.” he hesitated only for a second, “Or the company.”

She scoffed “Then you weren't paying attention.”

His eyes shifted to her lips “I was.” then back to her eyes, “You know I was. I was paying so much attention that I couldn’t stay away.” he finished with a deep sigh.

“Daenerys…” he started, but she cut him off “I'm ok, as I've said.” She looked straight into his eyes, “There's just so much I'd love to do - I'd love to dance with you, not imagine doing it while dancing with someone else; I'd love to be able to kiss you when I feel like it; I'd love to feel your arms settling in their rightful place - on me.” It was hard stopping the words spilling directly from her heart.

Her hands were shaking from restraining herself all night, her patience wearing thin with every pulse of her blood rushing through her veins. Her breath seemed laboured from her sudden confession. Closing her eyes, she continued “You've ruined me for everyone else, Jon Snow. I can't even stomach someone else's hands on me.”

Before she could say anything else, she felt his lips on hers, urgent and demanding, leaving even more impressions on her soul. His hands cupped her face, deepening the kiss. When he stopped, he didn't completely move back; his hands lingered on her cheeks. When she finally opened her eyes, he was staring at her with newfound determination.

“Dany… I've been meaning to do this all evening. It took me so long to get to you because I had to calm myself; I arrived shortly after you did and I kept avoiding you. I've been desperately trying not to touch you, not to rip this sinful dress off of you in front of everyone” he took a deep breath, “Can't you see I'm done for? I don't think I could have escaped you even if I tried. Not that I tried...” he smiled bitterly, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Loud laughter came from the opened door, so she quickly pulled back to look behind her, but no one came out. She realised they were the only ones left outside, the smokers having finally left. When she turned back to him, Jon was still kneeling in front of her, stunned expression on his face, his hands having shifted down her body, only to rest on her thighs.

“Jon… “ he closed his eyes, as if lulled by a siren’s song. “Take me home. This dress was just for you.” - his eyes opened - “It's yours to admire, yours to feel, yours to rip off. All yours.”

He smiled and bent down to steal a quick kiss. And another. And another - before slowly getting up on his feet, pulling her with him, his eyes finally betraying his true intentions.

She took off his jacket and reached out to rub the lipstick off of his lips. “Go. I'll meet you back at your place.”

“Only if you say it first," he pleaded while leaning in to peck her right cheek.

She leaned into his touch to finally whisper into his right ear “You're mine, Jon Snow. All mine.”


	2. First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi! By popular demand, I decided it was worthwhile to work on expanding this, so here you go, a tiny glimpse on the backstory of chapter 1! Chapter 2 happens approximately 1 year and a few months BEFORE the events in Chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this lives up to the expectations! Thank you all for the overwhelming positive response, for leaving comments and kudos! A huge thank you to @LustOnMyFingers and @atetheredmind for helping out in the begging with the logistics of my fic. And a huge thank you to everyone else who encouraged me to finally stop editing and post this already @phoebemaybe, @ValDeCastille, @CallMeDeWitt, @jalen_mara, @Open_Sky, @NoOrdinaryLines, and @NorthernLights37! 
> 
> I wanted to try some different things - I also realised that I probably need to change the rating on this fic. Don't get excited yet. 
> 
> Lemme also thank my BFF C for being my friend, because my university years were much more interesting because of his messy love life - cheers, mate!

_‘This wasn’t supposed to happen.’_

She rushed through her studio, slamming the door behind her and throwing her bag on the floor. She did not stop until she reached the bathroom; she closed the door, fumbling with the lock, her shaky hands slipping on the tiny handle until she finally managed to slide it in its place. She took two steps back, turning with her eyes closed to the mirror above the sink. She blindly felt for its edges, grasping them like a lifeline, bracing herself for what was to come. When she finally opened her eyes, nothing happened.

As if the Gods themselves would suddenly decide to materialise in her tiny bathroom just to castigate her for her foolish lust. As if they would care enough to do that. As if somehow her mistakes took precedence over everything else happening in the world.

Yet all she could do was replay the kiss in her mind. Plush lips touching hers, shy at first, but slowly turning urgent and frenzied. His fingers threaded in her hair, his other hand…

 _‘Stop it,’_ she kicked herself. And although it stopped the memory, it was too late to stop the smile that was forming on her face.

She turned towards the bathroom door, making sure just one more time that the tiny golden lock was still in its place – such a poor attempt at a last line of defences. She put down the the toilet lid and sat for what felt like the first time that night. Her elbows came to rest on her knees, and she let her head limply fall into her hands.

Suddenly she shot up as if her own hands had electrocuted her, the simple gesture jolting her memory yet again. She brought her hands up to her nose, slowly this time. And there it was – the single tangible evidence that it was all real, his perfume treacherously lingering on her palms. She inhaled deeply, this time letting herself fully enjoy it, her smile growing so wide, her cheeks started to hurt. For a moment she allowed herself to imagine a future in which life was not complicated; a future in which she would have been able to accept his proposal, right then and there, an alternate universe in which he would have come back to her place. So she committed their first and probably last kiss to memory, feeling the ghost of his lips on hers, revelling in how his left hand brought her flush with his body, how it started slowly caressing her back, sliding lower and lower, until it reached her butt, only to squeeze it firmly – once, twice, three times. She moaned, distinctively remembering his groan as she pulled on him to deepen the kiss. The sound echoed in the small bathroom, bringing her back to the present.

She leaned back against the bathroom door, sliding down to the floor, hoping that the cold surface would help, that it would be enough to kick her into her problem solving mode, so she could finally think of what to do next. She was good at that – yes, she had a tendency to overthink and overanalyse, but most of the time it was a quality, not a default. Unfortunately, when it came to her own issues, she could not help but concentrate on the worst possible outcome and potential complications, telling herself that she was just preparing in case any of them happened. In reality, once she was done quibbling, she would just start lamenting her choices, wishing she could take back her actions.

But try as she might, she could not regret this kiss. Analyse it ad nauseam, yes, but feeling guilty about it? **Never**. It was probably wrong, and it was never meant to happen, but Dany tried her very best to be candid with herself – it would not serve to start lying to her own heart.

She just needed a moment to breathe; actually she needed two – one to relish the fact that Jon- _fucking_ -Snow had actually kissed her; and the second one, to get off the floor and do something about it.

Sure, it was easy enough to deny something that never happened; she was already very good at dodging Margaery’s allusions at her being too close to Jon, or the snide remarks about them spending _way too much time together_ , or being too _tactile_. But now? What if Margaery could tell? What if she wasn’t good enough at hiding this? What would Sansa think? And Robb?! Gods, Robb… why did she have to accept his stupid invitation?

She winced, suddenly remembering exactly what had brought her in this situation in the first place. _‘Ugh best not go there again…’_ she sighed; Dany doubted that this added complication would ease the tension she helped create in the first place.

The truth was that she didn’t want to be Jon’s best friend – but she just could not stay away. At first, she tried her very best to avoid him, she changed her optional courses just to not see him so much, she even stopped going out with ‘the gang’ for a while. Unfortunately, her behaviour only prompted more questions from everyone, Jon included, so she had no choice, but to be his friend. It’s not like she was determined to be his best friend, one cannot simply enter someone’s life and claim the title of ‘best friend’. Oh no. But the Gods enjoyed playing with the lives of mere mortals a bit too much for her liking, or so it seemed, because after she started going out with the group again, Jon’s Master’s thesis supervisor decided that he could benefit from taking some IP Law classes, so he managed to move him to the very courses she fled to in order to avoid him, forcing her to essentially spend the entire week with Jon, since they were the only ones insane enough to take IP Law for their optional classes.

She closed her eyes, banging her head on the door, “Why.” Bang “Me.” Bang.

She was definitely spiralling out of control. Maybe she was just overreacting. It’s not like they had sex or just started a relationship overnight, it was a kiss. _Just a kiss._ Maybe it was bound to never happen again. Maybe it was just supposed to be one of those things you try once, but come to regret at the first light, so you swear it off for the rest of your life.

“Ugh who am I kidding?” she asked, banging her head on the door, this time a bit harder, for good measure. If only she could react like a normal person for once in her life. For all she knew, Jon was not even half as stunned as she was. Not that she would know, because as soon as they broke the kiss, she bolted without looking back, not stopping until she reached her apartment.

“Why am I like this?!” she yelled, banging her head on the door one last time. Truth be told, that was the worst possible reaction to a kiss in the entire history of kisses. Maybe Jon was hurt by her implied rejection, maybe he didn’t even follow her in the first place. _But that wasn't him._ Realisation hit her like a truck, “Oh no, what have I done?” she gripped the door handle, pulling herself up in one swift motion. If she thought that _she_ was spiralling down the pit of despair, Jon was bound to be in an even worse state – all because of her. She had to fix this, for both of them, since this was not something they could just ignore; _'I am the blood of the Dragon,'_ so she took a deep breath, slid the lock out of its place, and twisted the handle.

She realised that in her dazed state she must have misplaced her phone, so she went looking for it with the sole purpose of texting Jon and asking him to come by. To talk. That’s what they were going to do, _talk_. A muffled vibration distracted her before her distress could return. Her phone must have slipped from her hand, only to fall on the carpet and slide under the armchair. As soon as she picked it up, the screen lit up, showing an incoming message, along with 10 other unread ones.

Two were from Margaery, asking where she was, then wishing her a good night, mentioning that **‘(soooo Jon said your mum called so you went back home to Skype with her xx)** ,’ while all the others were from Jon:

 **21:30 Dany. Please. Don’t run like this.**  
21:30 I fucked up, ok? Please talk to me.  
21:31 I’m coming at your place, ok? I need to at least make sure you’re home.  
21:31 Marge asked about you. I told her you went home to call your mom.  
21:32 Just so you know, she scolded me for letting you leave by yourself. She’s right.  
21:33 I am almost there.  
21:36 I can see your bathroom light is on. Are you in there? Or did you leave it like that to ward off people?  
21:36 Please, just let me know you’re safe. It’s alright if you never want to see me again. It’s alright if you never want to talk to me again. Just tell me you’re in there and safe. I’ll be waiting for your message.

Oh he was definitely spiralling out of control. His last message read:

**21:40 I am at your door. Just make some noise inside so I know that you’re in there and I’ll leave.**

She took another deep breath, trying to calm her suddenly shaky hands, and went to the front door. If she was indeed as smart as she thought she was, she would choose to walk away. But maybe she didn’t want to be smart, just this once. She unlocked the door and pulled it open; and there he was, waiting for her. Although he looked worried, relief washed over him as soon as he saw her.

“I-I am glad you’re ok. Thank you. I’ll keep my promise now,” he said taking a step back, all the relief gone from his face, his eyes dropping to the welcome mat, “I’ll let you be.”

Before she could think too much, she asked “Please, don’t go,” her voice smaller than she wanted to be. “I want you to stay.”

His eyes shot up at her, full of surprise, “I don’t think that is a good idea, Dany.”

Panic filled her. Was she just doomed to hurt and alienate everyone around her? Jon turned to leave, so before she could change her mind, she hugged him. “I don’t want to lose you. I am so scared, I don’t know what to do,” she pleaded, her voice muffled against his back. His hands grabber hers, pressing them harder to his chest, “Me neither,” he whispered. They stayed like that a moment longer, before Jon pried her arms open, and turned to face her, grabbing both of her hands in his left one.

Still, she could not look at him, her head hung low, eyes focused on his white sneakers. Jon moved closer, carefully pushing her head up with two fingers, “Let’s go inside. Just to chat. Ok?” he asked, slightly crouching to meet her gaze. She slowly nodded, afraid to make any sudden moves. He gently pulled her back into the apartment, closing the door behind her. Jon moved to the yellow couch, and sat on the edge, tugging on her hand to make her sit next to him.

Moments passed before he finally started speaking. “If I could lie to you, I would say that I am sorry, that I regret kissing you,” he whispered, his left hand still holding both of her hands. “I would also say that I don’t know what came over me, heck, I could even try and blame it on the alcohol,” he chuckled mirthlessly. “I could probably skip over the fact that I’ve been thinking about kissing you for the past six months, and deny all my feelings for you,” he continued a little louder. “Truth is, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since I first saw you in that café.”

Dany squeezed his hand and moved closer, “I don’t want you to take it back. I know it’s wrong for me to want you, and I really tried to feel guilty about letting you kiss me, but I just couldn’t stop smiling about it,” she admitted, her lips already stretching in a huge smile. He did the same, his eyes getting slightly watery. “I swear the only reason I’m not kissing you now is because I can’t make my brain stop thinking about the consequences of our actions.” His smile fell, but he nodded in understanding. “I’m sorry I fled,” she continued, “I guess my flight response kicked in?”

Jon chuckled, “I admit, it took me a second to realise that it happened. I was too concentrated on the fact that you kissed me back.”

His smile was too much; she had to bite hard on her lip just to stop herself from jumping him like a horny teenager. “You’re kidding, right?” she asked.

“I wish I were, but in my defence, you did give me a lot of mixed messages, so I was never entirely sure you would not just punch me,” he stated, narrowing his eyes in contempt.

“I could say the same about you.”

“I would never dare punch you,” he eagerly defended himself.

“Oh, you know what I mean,” Dany complained, trying to wriggle her hands free. But he tightened his grip, pulling himself closer to her. _Too close._ Her breath hitched. His face came so close to hers, their lips almost touching; she could feel his laboured breathing on her face, her hands itching to pull him into her.

“I can’t seem to be able to stay away,” he said, and she would not have been able to hear it, if it were not for their proximity.

His nose brushed against hers, “This is dangerous,” she heard herself whisper.

She heard him loudly swallow. “I don’t want to stop,” he whispered.

“Then don’t,” Dany replied, and with that she tilted her head up, meeting his lips in a breathtaking kiss. He finally released her hands, allowing her to grab him by the neck, to bring him closer to her. Letting go felt so right, even if it was just for a moment. She finally stopped thinking, and let all her senses be overwhelmed by Jon. He was everywhere; his lips tasted like the dark beer she had bought him a few hours before; his perfume was all she could smell; his strong hands found their way under her cotton shirt, leaving indentations on her hot skin.

She pushed him back, without breaking the kiss, and straddled his lap. Jon went willingly, his kisses growing urgent and sloppy. Dany could already feel his erection through his pants, and she involuntarily rolled her hips, creating more friction. This earned her a loud groan from Jon, who broke the kiss only to start biting her neck; she sunk lower on his lap, making him grind up into her in response.

Before they could take things further, she pushed him back on the couch, putting both hands on his chest to anchor herself in reality. She was about to speak when Jon put his thumb over her lips, slightly panting.

“We don’t have to do this. I am afraid too.” She swallowed hard, tears already stinging her eyes. “We can take it slow. I don’t want to lose you,” he continued, taking a deep breath, an unspoken question in his eyes. She nodded, not trusting her voice to answer. He pulled her into a tight embrace, slowly rocking them.

Dany couldn’t tell how long he held her like that; from time to time he would stop rocking to kiss her hair and whisper sweet nothings into her ear. When she felt confident enough to speak, she pulled back to look at him, his eyes red and brow furrowed.

“You’re mine, Jon Snow, don’t you forget.”

“Only yours,” he smiled.

She pressed her forehead to this, closing her eyes in contemplation, “We need a plan. What are our options here?”

He sighed, “You love making blueprints for everything. Do you happen to have a contingency plan for us?”

“As in a _‘what to do if I fall in love with my best friend’_ plan?”

He pulled back to stare at her with those big eyes “So you’re in love with me?”

“You really are just a pretty face, aren’t you?” she teased. “Although, as it is, we probably need a plan called _‘what to do if I finally start acting on my feelings for my best friend’_.”

He shook his head smiling, mocking her for her obsessive tendencies to have contingency plans for everything. “Let’s hear it.”

“Well, it’s not an actual plan, more like something I’ve been thinking about when I couldn’t sleep,” she said, feeling foolish and slightly embarrassed.

He raised his right eyebrow, but said nothing, allowing her to continue. “From where I stand, I see two possible routes for us. One” – she held up her left index finger – “we pretend that _this_ never happened,” he frowned as she continued, “and we at least try to go back to being friends.” His grip on her hips tightened. “And I mean a real try, as in we can never talk about it, no late calls or texts telling me you miss kissing me; in return I will also control my impulses and stop touching you.” His scowl deepened, and for a moment he held his breath. Still, he would not interrupt her. “Not that it’s going to be easy. Not that I want to do that. Not that I think I could survive you not looking at me with that look.” She touched his forehead with her right hand, massaging the furrow, willing it to melt away. In return, he offered her a small, but hopeful smile.

“Two,” she said, taking off her hand from his face and putting her right index finger up, “we give _us_ a try, while trying to minimise the blow to, well, you know…”

She gave him a moment to ponder the two options, just like she did when they were discussing a case for moot court. “I can already tell you that I don’t like this,” he said, pulling on her right index finger, bringing her hand to rest in their laps. Her stomach dropped. Still, she tried to not let it show, and decided to give him the opportunity to explain. “This means lying to everyone we know, sneaking around, and it doesn’t guarantee us, nor the ones we love, a happy ending. For all we know, it could even make it worse. Between just going to them tomorrow and coming clean and waiting for – what? A few weeks, a few months? – it doesn’t seem to be make that much of a difference.” He took a deep breath, “but this…” he said grabbing her left hand, “this would probably kill me.” She offered the tiniest smile, full of understanding.

He leaned in closer, his hands going to cradle her face, “I genuinely don’t think I could ever go back from this. Every time I look at you, I can only think about your kiss. I don’t want to live in a world where I have to pretend to have never known the taste of your lips. Forgive me,” he said pulling her down for a swift peck on her lips, “I’m afraid I’m not helping much.”

“No, stop that. You are helping.” She grabbed him by his wrists, keeping his hands on her cheeks, “This tells me that you’re all in. It's probably too soon to just tell the others, and with the exams coming...” she sighed. "I don't want that responsibility on my shoulders. I want to be able to concentrate on my last exams ever, and let the others do the same. Just promise me you won’t regret it when it gets difficult, and that you won’t hate me for loving you back."

“I promise, Dany,” he said, gazing into her eyes, before pulling her into yet another passionate kiss, thus sealing their arrangement.

He was right, there was really only one option. It seemed the Gods could not help themselves, they forever intertwined her fate with Jon’s. It was inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I didn't give you much, but just enough so you can maybe eliminate some theories, I hope! 
> 
> Was Dany's reaction expected? Realistic? Would you have reacted he same if your best friend had kissed you? 
> 
> As for the last chapter, lemme know your thoughts and theories!


	3. Treacherous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To go forward, we must go back - so we are going even further back in time, to see how Jon and Dany met.  
> For timeline purposes, Chapter 3 takes place almost 6 months before Chapter 2, so we're about 1 year and a half before the ball in Chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Valeria for being a wonderful friend and listening to my moaning and bitchin’ about this fic, as well as doing a wonderful job as a beta on this chapter (my longest yet ha). Without further ado, enjoy!

It felt good to be back home. Sure, he had loved his semester up North very much, but there was really no place like home. University had been so different there, and much better, even if he had been overwhelmed in the beginning: the first two months had gone by in a blur, he barely had any time to eat and sleep, the reading material just piling up in what seemed at one point an infinite column on his desk; when he wasn’t in class, he was in the library, reading until his eyes were burning. But, like his father always said –” _some good can be found even in bad things_ ”– it meant that he barely had time to get homesick, or to regret going abroad in the first place.

 

It didn’t come to him as a surprise when got into the Gyldayn programme, even if he had applied at the last moment, mostly out of spite because Theon and Robb wouldn't stop making fun of him. After all, _“what good does it do to be in the top of the class if you don’t profit off of it?_ ” Maester Luwin had been so elated that he decided to go for the prestigious exchange programme, that he had invited him to his office to discuss his future over coffee. The headmaster of the Law School, although incredibly kind to his students, never invited them for coffee.

 

As much as all his favourite professors and the Maester had been overjoyed, his family had had a different reaction. Certainly, his parents had been extremely proud, even if his mother was not so keen on letting her second son leave the _“family nest”_ so early. The worst had been Arya – he had already been walking on thin ice since she couldn’t see him as much _“thanks to that blasted law school,”_ therefore he wasn’t making his situation better by going _“to the end of the world”_ for the next four months. After giving him the cold shoulder for an entire weekend, he got her to speak to him again but only after he promised to reserve 30 minutes just for Skyping with her _“at least once a week.”_  

 

In the beginning, he had tried so hard to do it all – studying, making friends, getting involved in the numerous activities, Skyping his parents weekly, _and_ going out. That was before he had met Ygritte. At that point, to his endless to do list, he was also required to add time for a girlfriend; but calling her _‘his girlfriend’_ had never felt right. Calling her that to her face had earned him a punch in the stomach. No, Ygritte was… Well, he wouldn’t be able to explain their relationship. Up until the moment he left, he had been so sure she wouldn’t mind their _thing_ coming to an end. But then – _then_ – she had surprised him: she had insisted on driving him to the airport, even if he told her five different times that it would be much easier to get there by train, that it was a long drive; she had actually started crying at the gates, almost begging him not to leave, or to at least continue _‘this’_ as a long-distance thing.

 

In hindsight, he could have handled it better. Only once he overplayed their goodbye a hundred times on the airplane, did he understand why she had got so angry when he told her that a long-distance relationship wasn’t the best idea. In fact, he was sure that he could pinpoint the exact moment he irremediably fucked up whatever _relationship_ he had with her. But when he had sat down to finally think on the events of the past two months with a clear head, he realised that what they had was doomed from the start – Ygritte’s commitment issues, the fact that she refused to call him her _boyfriend_ even if she specifically asked him to be exclusive, her habit of disappearing for days only to come back as if nothing had happened… it was all too much.

 

So he locked this episode of his life in a forgotten drawer in his mind, never to think on it, never to regret it, taking it for what it was – a fling one was bound to have on their Gyldayn adventure.

 

Best thing about doing his Gyldayn up North was definitely the fact that it ended before Christmas. At least technically, because the only thing he had to do was maybe go back to retake an exam in May in the eventuality he had failed one – which he hadn’t, he made sure.

 

Christmas had always been important for the Starks; Cat had been so delighted when he told her that this programme allowed him to finish his exams earlier, thus to be home back in time for Christmas, meaning that he could spend his time at the house, since he had no exams to prepare for. He had lied to his parents, and told them that he had no idea when his exams would end, but that he would let them know as soon as he could. In reality, he had already bought a plane ticket for the 20th, planning to surprise them by arriving earlier.

 

Since he hadn’t had time to buy any presents, he was heading to his old campus to leave his luggage at Robb’s or Sansa’s, go shopping and then go home with them. The past four months had been hard, and he hadn’t spoken to any of them as much as he had wished; Robb was busy with his last exams and writing his Master’s thesis, and Sansa was aiming for perfect grades this semester. So most of their interactions had been limited to Robb sending him the odd snap of the gang hanging out at the frat house, of them dressed to the nines for the Annual Law Ball, of Sansa having a breakdown over Arya pranking her yet again, of Bran’s latest robot invention. In return he had sent goofy selfies, some snaps of the campus, of the library and of his endless stack of reading material.

 

Even Arya had eventually got busy when her water dancing training had picked up because her new teacher thought her to be especially gifted. Rickon would pop in to say hi when he spoke with his parents, being too young and impatient to sit down and chat for more than 10 minutes. Bran was always tinkering away in his room, but that was Bran, he usually forgot to eat when he was inventing things. Sansa had been the only one to express concern regarding his weird behaviour when he first started hanging out with Ygritte. One day when they were Skyping while he sorted through his books and she was doing her nightly yoga routine, she made him promise to tell her everything about Ygritte when he got back; that was the only way to get her to stop annoying him with questions. He was not looking forward to that, but he hoped that the surprise would be enough to distract her, at least for a few days.

 

As soon as he got off the train, his suitcases in tow, he realised how much he had missed being in the tiny village, especially so late in the year. It was quiet, only the odd student could be found outside, probably going out for a hot meal in between studying sessions. As he passed by Hot Pie’s, his stomach growled. He decided then that it would be best to stop and eat something first, as he was sure that Robb and Sansa had already eaten, their schedule on cramming periods being quite strict and religiously followed. So he pushed his heavy bags through the heavy glass doors. He was instantly overwhelmed by the familiar delicious aromas emanating from the kitchen and by the heat from inside the restaurant. As he had suspected, at this time it was quite empty, except for a lonely girl sitting in his favourite booth. He was about to go sit at the table behind her when he caught a glimpse of the book she was so engulfed in, and he couldn’t help but snort.

 

Startled by the unexpected noise she looked up at him, pinning him with a glare, brows knit together. He internally cringed, realising that his behaviour was more Theon-like than he would have ever wanted. “I apologise for interrupting you, I didn’t mean to,” he blurted. She didn’t reply, although her expression softened at his apology. He raked a hand through his messy man bun, scrambling through something to say to dispel the awkward tension. “It’s just your book –External Relations of the Seven Kingdoms–  I know the professor and I know how much of a pain in the arse he can be. I’m just glad I didn’t have to take that class.” He went from acting like Theon to acting like Sam – _just great_.

 

“I actually like Professor Baratheon; I know he’s not one of the loved ones, but if you know how to bring him on your side, you can ace his exams,” she said, saving him from further embarrassing himself.

 

“You’re kidding. Right?” he asked, not sure they were talking about the same thing anymore. “Stannis the Mannis? A _nice_ professor giving you _great_ marks? Lies, all lies,” he added with an exaggerated wave of his hand, hoping she would continue the joke.

 

She burst out laughing, dropping the heaving book on the table, and clenching her stomach. He couldn’t help but join her, her laughter so infectious his cheeks hurt. She wiped at her eyes, trying to calm herself from her sudden fit, yet she only laughed harder. She took a deep breath and pushed her hand to him, “Congrats, you just passed the test. We can be friends now. Dany,” she said, as he clasped her hand in a firm shake.

 

He smiled back, mirth still in his eyes, “Jon.” He was so caught up in her smile that he didn’t realise he was keeping her hand in his for longer than he should have.

 

“Nice to meet you, Jon. You look like you could use something hot. Wanna join me?”

 

“Is this your way of saying I look like shit or your way of flirting?” He didn’t know why he said that, and he was about to regret it, had she not interrupted him.

 

“Maybe a bit of both,” she cocked her head to the side, a large smile spreading up to her eyes.

 

“Well, you are already sitting in my favourite booth, and I am famished...” he trailed off, glancing at the table.

 

“Do join me, I haven’t actually ordered yet. I hate eating alone, and I missed lunch with my friends because of a stupid paper, which I was putting off for as long as possible,” she explained, picking up her books and laptop, shoving them in her bag. He took off his jacket and spread it over his luggage to thaw while he ate.

 

“So, how come I’ve never seen you before?” she asked before he could ask her the same question.

 

He sat on the couch right across from her, his feet sore from the plane and train ride, and from going uphill with his suitcases. “Well, I just got back from my Gyldayn up North, they do it in the first semester there. But how come I haven’t seen _you_ before I left? I would have remembered you, I’m sure.” _Gods, he sounded like Robb now…_

 

Dany blushed, and he couldn’t help but smile at her reaction, realising just how beautiful she was. “Well, I guess I just wasn’t the attending classes type. I only went to a few and I spent most of my days holed up in the library,” she explained.

 

“Impossible,” he scoffed mockingly, “I know every nook of that library, there is no way you were there.”

 

She feigned annoyance, he was sure now –“Well, I didn’t say I was in the _law_ library…”

 

“That’s just cheating,” he challenged, eyes crinkled to slits.

 

She simply shrugged. “Wanna split a large portion of fries?”

 

“I was about to ask the same,” he smiled. As she ordered for both of them, he couldn't help but notice how bright her violet eyes shone, how her tongue would peek out to wet her lips as she decided which fry sauce would go best with the spicy beer, how long her hair was, styled in a thick plait starting at the base of her skull, and winding down on her right shoulder. The waiter left to bring their order, so he asked, “How come you’re still in town? Aren’t you going home for the holidays?”

 

“Not yet, my great uncle is a professor here. I’m waiting for him to finish up his oral examinations, so we can go home together. He’s quite old so I don’t like leaving him to drive alone.” She quickly added, “and you? You’re a free man, why aren’t you out there enjoying Christmas?”

 

He laughed, “I actually missed this tiny town. Plus I’m stopping here first to do some Christmas shopping and to pick up my siblings.”

 

The waiter interrupted them with a big basket of steaming fries, an array of sauces and two pints of Christmas ale. He didn’t want to pry, so he went for safer topics instead. “So, when’s your first exam?” he asked, plucking a hot fry from the pile and dipping it into the sweet sauce.

 

“On the 4th, and I’m already too stressed.” She stuck out her tongue, voice muffled “Why didn’t you warn me these were so hot?”

 

“Mine was cold,” he defended.

 

“Liar,” she said, throwing her napkin at his face. When he took it off, she burst out laughing, holding her stomach and leaning back on the couch.

 

“What?”

 

“Your… hair…” she wheezed. In that moment he only wanted to make her laugh more.

 

“What about it,” he asked, raking a hand through it, intentionally making it worse.

 

She laughed harder, “stop… it...” She took deep breaths, calming herself, then leaned over the table, to yank his tie and comb her fingers through his curls. Jon leaned into her touch, eyes closed, getting lost in the sensation.

 

He made up his mind then. “I would like to invite you on an actual date, after your exams, if that’s something you’d like,” he said, opening his eyes. Her hand stilled and her eyes briefly dropped to his lips.

 

“I’d love that very much, yes.” He matched her smile with one of his own, before taking her hand in his, resting both of them on the table, gently caressing her soft skin with his thumb.

 

Maybe it was the failed relationship with Ygritte, maybe it was the nostalgia of being home again, maybe it was just her beauty that emboldened him to hold her hand and ask her out, or maybe it was a combination of everything that made Jon so courageous.

 

They remained in the café, her hand in his, eating fries and drinking beer, talking about their professors and their exams, about his time abroad and about her Master’s thesis. Before he realised, the food and drinks were long gone, it was getting dark outside and the snow had picked up in intensity.   

 

“I should probably get going, I promised a friend that we’d study together tonight at my place.” Jon thought that she almost sounded disappointed to part ways.

 

“Here, give me your number,” he said, pushing his phone in her hands, before his shyness would sneak up on him. With a grin, she did just that, then called herself to save his number.

 

Dany gave him back his phone and sat up to get her coat. He took the opportunity to pay at the counter. “Sneaky. You didn’t have to do that,” she teased, “but thank you.”

 

Jon smiled. “I am actually going to the dorms next to the law district. You heading the same way?”

 

“Yes, I am. I can even help you with your suitcases,” she offered.

 

The trek to the dorms was comfortably quiet, the heavy snow and the uphill trip not allowing them to chat. She stopped in front of an old wooden door. He wanted to tell her she could text him when she took a break from studying, that he was very much looking forward to their date. But he never managed to get the words out, the door bursting open, a shrill scream distracting him.

 

“Oh my Gods, Jon!!!”

 

He was crushed by a tiny girl. He instantly recognised the voice and pulled back to take a better look at her, “Gilly!”

 

“Jon, I cannot believe you are home, ugh, I am going to kill Sansa! Why didn’t she tell me?” She pulled him into another hug.

 

He laughed, hugging her tightly, “well, before you go kill her, you should know that she has no idea, it’s supposed to be a surprise.”

 

“I am so happy to see you! Sansa and Robb will be so thrilled! And Sam!!!” She pulled back to take his appearance in, “You look good, you look happy!”

 

In the commotion, he had forgotten about Dany. He sneaked a glance in her direction, only to find her staring at him, brow furrowed and lips pursed together in a tight line.

 

“Daenerys,” Gilly started, turning to Dany, “this is Jon, Robb and Sansa’s brother. The one who went abroad for a semester, you remember?” Jon was confused. He stared at Gilly, then at Dany. “Jon, this is Daenerys, she’s a friend. I’m sure Robb must have mentioned her,” she added with a smirk. Robb had not mentioned any Daenerys or Dany, unless… _no. It couldn’t be._

 

She pushed a gloved hand in front of her, examining him pointedly, “Daenerys, nice to finally meet you.” Jon kept staring, mouth agape, and he had barely touched her hand before she took it back, suddenly searching for something in her bag. “Okay then, sorry, I am very busy and I am waiting for Margaery. See you around.” Just like that she turned her back to him and hurried inside.

 

Gilly looped her hands around his right arm. “Come then, they’re both at Robb’s, I was about to go meet them for dinner.”

 

He picked up his suitcases, and followed Gilly to his old dorm, trying his best to pay attention to her ramblings. _What had just happened? Was Dany the same girl Robb had told him about months ago? It couldn’t be, right? Why would she hit on him if she was with Robb?_ She had flirted back, he was sure of it. Moreover, she gave him her number and had agreed to go out on a date.

 

He didn’t realise they were already in front of their destination. Gilly helped him pull the heavy suitcases to the second floor, mumbling how heavy they were the entire way up. Before he could knock, the door was pushed back and he was tackled by a red haired creature.

 

“I thought I heard your voice! It is you, it is you, finally!” Sansa mumbled into his neck. He would have lost his footing and tumbled to the floor had it not been for Gilly’s support. He pressed her harder into his chest and kissed her on the forehead.

 

“I’ve missed you too.”

 

“Jon!” His brother appeared in the threshold, and he enveloped them both in a huge hug, sandwiching Sansa in between them. Gilly hugged his back. _It was good to be home._

 

“Ok that’s enough, or you’ll suffocate me,” Sansa’s muffled voice broke the emotional moment.

 

Robb laughed and let go of them, but not before grabbing Jon a bit tighter for one last time. “Come, let’s get you inside,” he urged them all back into the dorm.

 

“When did you arrive? And why didn’t you call? I could have picked you up from the airport, you know?” his sister scolded.

 

He pulled her into another hug, “Because I wanted to surprise you, silly,” he rolled his eyes.

 

“Your timing is actually perfect, because we were just having a goodbye dinner for the winter break. Sam will be here soon, he’s bringing Bran too, and Theon just popped out to buy some wine,” Robb explained. He looked at Gilly, “Daenerys is not coming, I gather?” he said, eyes suddenly filled with _something_ , though what exactly Jon couldn’t tell.

 

“No, she’s studying with Marge,” Gilly provided with an apologetic smile.

 

“Robb, leave her alone. She broke up with you, why would you be that guy who keeps annoying his ex?” Sansa called from the kitchen.

 

_His ex. Others take him._

 

+  +   +

 

Daenerys barely had any time to process what had happened before Margaery was knocking at the door. Her friend eyed her suspiciously, but did not push for an explanation. They quickly and quietly got to work, soon the entire table flooding with textbooks and handwritten notes.

 

After reading the same sentence for what seemed like the hundredth time, Daenerys deeply sighed. Green eyes scrutinised her, one eyebrow slightly moved up, yet no words came from her friend. Instead, Margaery got up and picked up the small moka pot, twisted it open, poured water into the boiler; she opened the top counter and fished the metal container, measuring exactly three spoonfuls of coffee, carefully tipping them into the metal filter, smoothing them in a neat layer. Margaery turned, the pot in her hands, securely screwing the top half while staring at her expectantly. Dany avoided her gaze, desperately trying to read the first articles of the 7K-Braavos Trading Agreement; she could feel her friend’s eyes searing two holes into the back of her head, but she stood her ground, ignoring the unspoken question. She could hear the flame coming to life, along with the pot hitting the metal of the stove.

 

The minutes dragged on, the gurgle of the coffee the only sound disrupting the deafening silence. Daenerys kept her eyes on the same blasted sentence she should have already known by heart. _Should she tell Marge? Would telling her be a good idea? Would not telling her be the best idea?_ Marge could definitely tell something was up, and had she had time between Gilly’s shattering revelation and her study session, she would have managed to properly analyse her options and pick the best course of action. But desperate times…

 

The sound of coffee being poured into two cups interrupted her train of thought.

 

“Ok, now spill,” her friend demanded, putting the cup in front of her.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied. Dany cradled the cup into her hands, the strong roast aroma filling her senses, coursing through her veins, waking her up.

 

“I can hear you mentally kicking yourself. Clearly we won’t be doing any studying until you get it out of your system, so I’m listening.” _Bless Margaery for knowing her so well._

 

“I was thinking… do you think it’s too soon to start dating someone else?” Dany tried to infuse her lies with some truth, hoping her friend wouldn’t catch on.

 

“Look,” Margaery sighed, “I know you think you owe Robb something, but you don’t.”

 

She shook her head, “I just feel bad, this is such a mess…”

 

“No. Listen to me,” Marge grabbed her hand, “it’s not your fault. Sometimes people are just not compatible, and that’s ok. Besides,” she gave her hand a squeeze, “he’ll be fine, in no time he’ll direct his attention on the next girl, and you’ll be long forgotten.”

 

“I don’t know about that, it’s been already what, three weeks? And he’s still insisting that we meet and chat and reconsider…” she drained the rest of her coffee, and got up to take the cup to the sink.

 

“Daenerys, you don’t know him like I do, I’ve seen him with a new girl on his arm every month for the past five years. I just don’t buy it that he suddenly wants a long term relationship. That’s not him.” Margaery shook her head, and Dany could swear she saw her grimace in disgust.

 

She said nothing, instead concentrated on washing her cup. As soon as she turned the water off, her friend continued. “You dated for what? Three weeks? A month? I think the main issue is that you refused him. Girls rarely refuse Robb, if ever.”

 

She wiped her hands on a towel, further considering the issue, “I actually refused him in the beginning, you know?”

 

“Exactly, that’s what made him insist so much. He probably took it as a personal challenge, so he pestered you until you gave in.”

 

“He had been nice to me ever since we met; never tried anything I didn’t want him to.” Daenerys felt the need to defend Robb, although why – she was unsure .

 

Margaery scoffed, “until the Law Ball.”

 

“Well,” Dany leaned on the counter, “he did insist I come, and it was my first –and last– ball. We danced. He can be very charming, and pretty irresistible.” She sighed, “but while he is very attractive and definitely knows how to sweep a girl off her feet… we never clicked. Ugh… I never should have dated him.”

 

Margaery got up to pull her in a tight hug. “It’s alright, my sweet, you did what you felt was right with the information you had at the time. You can’t dwell on the past and kick yourself every time you see him moping about.”

 

Dany pulled back to look at her, “I just think it would be much easier if he was a jerk, or if he had done something to me.”

 

Marge nodded slowly, “I know, I think it would be easier for him to also let you go. But sometimes relationships just don’t work out...” She offered her a small smile.

 

“Alright, let’s just… study,” Dany said, expelling all the air from her lungs.

 

They studied well into the early hours of the morning, and for a while Dany had forgotten everything about her encounter with Jon… until she lay in her bed, willing sleep to come to her. By the time she tossed and turned for what felt like the millionth time, she glanced at the clock. _5:00. She might as well give up on the idea._ She propped herself up against the headboard, and started browsing social media. She switched between apps for a while, feeling too jittery and her mind too plagued by the handsome Jon Snow to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes.

 

 **‘I think I should probably explain myself.’** The notification made Dany drop the phone. Panting, she fumbled for it, unlocking the device with trembling hands. Before she could start typing, another message appeared. **‘I had no idea. Had I known, I would have never…’**

 

Without giving it any more thought, she typed. **‘Neither did I. I really had not made the connection, I never realised that you were Robb’s brother.’**

 

 **‘May I see you?’** Dany hesitated. She shouldn’t… but this needed to happen, and she’d rather do it sooner than later.

 

**‘How fast can you get here?’**

 

**‘Be there in 10.’**

 

Dany got up and threw on her fluffy bathrobe. She was just putting the moka pot on the stove when she heard the well known ring of the intercom. It just took him just a few seconds to arrive at her door after she buzzed him in. Jon pushed in, not looking at her, and stopped directly at the couch, letting his head fall in his hands; he sat down, sighing deeply. She closed the door, and moved to pour coffee into two cups. Dany stopped in front of him, tentatively pushing the cup to his eye level, as if it were a white flag. He must have sensed the aroma, because he lifted his head and took the cup from her hands, dodging her gaze.

 

“Thank you,” he said, voice leaden and barely audible.

 

She pulled a chair in front of him, already trying too hard to keep her distance, “I… I don’t know where to start,” Dany simply stated.

 

Jon scoffed and shook his head. “It’s my fault, really; had I spoken to Robb properly these past few months I would have known. He…” Jon swallowed thickly, “never mentioned you. But that’s Robb, always starting something with some girl. Maybe I… I just didn’t pay any attention to it.”

 

“Jon, it’s alright. Nothing happened.” She fumbled with the robe tie.

 

“But I wanted it to happen,” he finally looked at her, a sad smile barely hanging from his plump lips. “It can never happen, Dany. I’m sorry,” he quickly added, downing the strong coffee in one swing.

 

She didn’t answer. It would do no good to tell him that she wasn’t some object to be passed around between owners, that she could date anyone. Yet she didn’t –for all she knew, he didn’t feel the same connection she had when they were holding hands in the café– her own guilt over potentially dating Robb’s brother gnawing at her like a tiny rodent trying to make its way through her chest.

 

“I don’t know what happened between the two of you. I just know that I have never seen him so hung up on a girl before.”

 

“Nothing happened–” she finally spoke “–it just didn’t work out. Sometimes relationships don’t work out, and that’s ok,” she echoed Margaery’s words.

 

Jon seemed like he wanted to ask more questions, but she stopped him. “Long story short, we just met after school started, we were randomly assigned to a group presentation and he was being nice to me.” She sighed, “I don’t have many friends here, so it felt good to finally speak to other people. He would invite me to lunch and carry my books, but I never read much into that. He invited me to the Ball, practically begged me to go.” Dany downed the rest of her coffee. “Looking back, I realise that he was definitely flirting. We kissed at the ball.” Jon's face contorted as if he was in pain, avoiding her eyes again, hands clenching in his lap. “I decided to give it a try; he is a great guy… let’s just say my past relationships have not been that _good_ . We dated for about a month, but it just… felt _off_?”

 

“You needn’t give me all the details,” Jon waved his hand in annoyance.

 

“I’m just trying to tell you that, at least on my part, there wasn’t any _great romance_ that ended in tragedy. I just saw him more like a friend. I can hardly call us a _couple_.”

 

Jon raked his hand through his loose curls. “I understand, but this doesn’t change the fact that you dated my brother and that, from what I have seen in the past hours, he’s still very much affected by your relationship, however long it was.”

 

She knew he was right, but she couldn’t help the pang of disappointment that went through her entire being at his words. “I understand. I know it hasn’t been that long since I broke it off.”

 

He nodded, getting up to his feet. He put the cup on the table and went to the door. Dany didn’t turn around. She heard the click of the handle and the creak of the hinges. She was waiting for the familiar thump of the door closing; instead, Jon whispered “I wish I had met you first, Daenerys.” When she finally looked over her shoulder, he was already gone. “I wish that too…” she whispered in the empty room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mystery has been solved. A few of you had correctly guessed it or had been super close to the truth, so that’s cool (Lillian81, Cmyatt01, turningoverwill - you get fictional jonerys brownies!).  
> Just to clear it up, Jon’s parentage is not important here, but if you must know, he is still Jon Snow because he was adopted by Ned & Cat at a very young age. He kept the name as a nod to his biological mom who died in childbirth. Cat is a very loving mother, thank you very much. Also, the Gyldayn programme is a fancy ASoIaF inspired name for the Erasmus exchange programme.  
> I hope this chapter delivered, and if there are more questions, feel free to ask, I will try to answer those that I can without revealing more from the remaining chapters. Hope you liked it, I have been working on this very hard, for some reason this was harder to write than the first two, although I had already written a very large part a while ago, there were two interactions that kept nagging at me. Enough about my struggles, I hope to update sooner next time!


	4. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon x Dany navigate their way through university life, despite the discovery they made in Chapter 3. 
> 
> Lots of parties happening, Robb whinging and some girl talk!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, this chapter took longer than I had anticipated. I was stuck for about two weeks in the worst funk I’ve experienced in a while and I couldn’t write nor read (not like I usually do, at least). Somehow, two days ago I snapped out of it (at least mostly) and finished this chapter. As an apology, please accept Chapter 4, longer than I usually do, at 7.7k words. Enjoy!
> 
> A big thank you to all the soft bitches who were there for me at my worst. An extra hug for Sharon aka LustOnMyFingers who was my beta for this chapter. Love you all so much! 
> 
> Regarding the timeline, we stopped going back in time. Now we are picking up about a month after the events in Chapter 3, immediately after the exams. The following chapters will bring us closer to where Chapter 1 ended. 
> 
> Ok, I’ll stop. Go read!

 

Chapter 4 - Falling

 

Dany meticulously pat the concealer under her eyes and on her chin, right on the pimple that was already threatening to show its ugly head, hoping that it would be enough to hold it off, at least until the end of the day. As she was powdering her face, her mind drifted again to Jon Snow. She was still oscillating between considering herself fortunate or unfortunate – having not seen him since the night they had met. She put down the fluffy brush and picked up her jet black mascara; after two coats her lashes looked as black as Jon’s curls. _Snap out of it._

 

She quickly brushed her hair and was out the door just in time to catch up with Sansa and Margaery coming down the street.

 

“Hello, my sweet,” Margaery beamed, wrapping her in a tight embrace. “What’s the damage?”

 

“Hi! Actually… zero.” She pulled back and pecked Sansa on both of her cheeks.

 

“Same here. So, we’re treating ourselves, I gather?”

 

“You bet,” Sansa said.

 

Just then, her phone chimed. “Gilly says she is expecting us at the mall.”

 

They walked briskly, the weather still cold, despite the fact that most of the snow had melted. With a frustrated huff, Margaery pulled off her gloves and fetched her phone from her jacket, but said nothing. _Strange_ , Dany thought. She urgently tapped what seemed a short response and put her gloves back on.

 

“This is definitely our year. I can feel it in the air,” Sansa said, making a point by deeply inhaling. “No summer exams for us, provided that we get through the next semester.”

 

“Of course we will, you silly girl. Especially you, since you’d probably isolate yourself in the woods were you to fail an exam,” Margaery laughed.

 

“Sure, make fun all you want; but I want to apply for the Gyldayn next year and I need perfect grades for that.” Sansa made a face at them, “but I wouldn’t go up North, as Jon did. I’d love to go someplace warm, for once.”

 

The girls kept going on about potential warm destinations while Dany was trying hard not to fret about inevitably seeing Jon again. She thought it was rather silly of her to make this into something so significant; for all she knew, Jon hadn’t spared her a second thought. Before she realised, Gilly was already coming towards them, Sam in tow.

 

“Celebratory or therapeutic?” she asked, barely containing her smile.

 

“Celebratory all around,” Dany jumped into Gilly’s open arms.

 

“That’s amazing! I think this is the first time we all passed all our exams!” Sam excitedly said, zipping up his coat and tying a long brown scarf around his neck. “And this is my cue to leave,” he announced after his phone buzzed. “Meet you all for dinner?”

 

“Deal,” Gilly gave him a quick kiss and with that they were left to their shopping spree.

 

By the third store, Daenerys had already spent too much money; still, they didn’t stop because she loved trying on clothes she would never dare wear in public. Besides, she was part of this now – this tradition the girls had before she came in their group and they had been kind enough to include her – so she let herself enjoy it to the fullest.

 

As she was trying out the most ridiculous fur dress she had ever seen, she swore she could hear the girls whispering something. Her suspicions only increased as all chattering stopped when she drew open the heavy red curtains to show the girls the hideous gown.

 

“That’s… a no from me,” Margaery faked gagging.

 

Sansa didn’t say anything, as she was scowling on the small _tab_ _o_ _uret_ made from the same material as the curtains.

 

“Oh I think it’s ahead of its time. I’m sure next year we’ll see everyone going around in furs. It will grow on you,” Gilly quickly added, glancing between Margaery and Sansa.

 

Dany had had enough. Sansa had been treating her _differently_ since she broke up with Robb - one minute they were laughing, the next she was giving her the cold shoulder. “Out with it, Sansa.”

 

The redhead looked at her, surprise etched on her perfectly shaped face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she simply stated, suddenly pretending that the embroidery on the gown she had on her lap was more interesting than anything else happening around her.

 

Dany shot a look to Margaery, who took the hint and tugged Gilly by her arm, “Help me find some shoes for that, I think we can bring the whole look together. You might be right, we may need to already be able to pull these off.”

 

“Sansa, please,” Dany started as soon as they were alone.

 

She huffed, “This is ridiculous. I am more mad at myself for being mad at you.” Dany was about to question her, but Sansa continued, “I know it is wrong of me to hold it against you–” she quickly added when she saw Dany’s confused look “–for dumping Robb; I’ve tried and tried to strike the right balance between being your friend and his sister. I want to take his side because he is hurting, but I also want to take your side because I am sick and tired of men acting like women owe them anything – even when it’s my brother who is acting like that.” She sighed and started taking her coat off, “I guess some days are worse than others,” she further provided, as she was taking her boots off, “what I am trying to say is that Robb can be fucking annoying sometimes.”

 

A chuckle escaped her. “I am sorry to have put you in this position. Truth is, I never should have dated him.”

 

“Help me with this boho-clusterfuck of a dress, will you?” Sansa asked, going into the adjacent cabin. “I think it’s actually better that you did date for a while, at least now he can stop with the pining, although he still seems to be stuck in the unrequited love phase.”

 

Sansa turned, only in her bra and panties, with her hands up, as Dany was trying to pull the lacey mess over her head. They both sighed in relief when Sansa finally pushed her head and arms through their respective gaps.

 

“I guess, but if he’s still texting me, I can only imagine how much whinging goes on when it’s just the two of you. I know how close you two are.” Dany helped her adjust the dress as much as she could – then took a step back to have a proper look. “Who even comes up with these designs?”

 

Her friend twirled, probably unsure how she felt about the look – if Dany was reading her expressions right.

 

“Mmm… Guess I could make it work… on Halloween.” They both burst into laughter.

 

“This is the worst thing I have seen so far,” Dany added, wiping tears from her eyes.

 

Sansa turned to face her with a serious but soft expression, “I am sorry if I sometimes make you feel bad or if it seems like I’m treating you differently. I’m working hard to remedy that, I promise. Plus, now that Jon’s here, he is the one dealing with Robb’s daily grumble session. It might make it easier on me if I don’t have to sit through that anymore.”

 

She winced, feeling worse since she was sure that Jon wasn’t having a better time than his sister, but pulled Sansa into a tight hug, hoping to cover it. The girls came back just in time.

 

“You won’t believe what we found,” Margaery pushed through the curtain the most hideous shoes Dany had ever seen. The entire cabin area filled with laughter.

 

Arms full of bags, they finally headed back to Dany’s dorm to leave their shopping, before joining the guys for dinner at Hot Pie’s.

 

She crossed the threshold, just like she had every single time for the past months since meeting _the gang_ , but somehow it felt different – all because of an extra seat at the table. _Relax_ , she kept telling herself, but anxiety filled her when she locked eyes with Jon. Thanks to her slow reaction, all the seats filled… except the one next to Jon. _Of course_ _that’s the only spot left_ _._

 

She said hi to everyone, making a point in going and pecking each of them on their cheeks – Sam, Theon, even Robb, and lastly, Jon. She probably made her pecks a bit too short and rushed, because as she sat down, Marge threw her a _what-was-that_ kind of look; she shook her head, hoping it was enough to placate her friend, at least for the moment.

 

She was too aware of Jon’s presence; she could feel every movement of his arms, as he was explaining something to Robb; every shift in the air around them as he would turn his head towards her, although she was sure he was looking past her, at Sansa. She had tried so hard not to think of him since that first meeting in this place. She was doing so well before – but now, without the exams to keep her mind busy, it was getting easier for him to pop into her mind. In fact, she was making a very conscious effort _not to_ think of him and whether he was thinking of her at that moment.

  

She studied the menu, even if she knew it by heart by this point. _I would like to invite you on an actual date…_ Jon’s words sounded so crisp in her mind, she almost thought he had said them out loud again. She glanced at the booth they had shared, wishing things had been different. Involuntarily, she turned her head to Jon, only to be met by his grey eyes; he lingered, and she felt that he was maybe probing, searching for something on her face – he grimaced and turned away as Sam asked him something Dany could not hear.

 

The server came to take their orders; in her daydreaming state she had forgotten to decide on a dish. “Umm just a large portion of fries please – with mayo and Dornish sauce; and a winter ale if you still have it,” she quickly added.

 

Fortunately, Gilly kept her busy until their food came, going on and on her about the courses she had chosen for the next semester. As the entire table fell in a familiar rhythm, everyone enjoying their meals, Dany couldn’t help but think how much it warmed her heart to belong to a group – she would do anything just to keep the _status quo_.

 

“I’ll share mine if you share yours,” Jon’s voice broke her reflection.

 

“Mhm?” she scrutinised his face for a hint to what he was asking of her.

 

Jon smiled – this time giving her a true smile, making her throat constrict with what would never be – “I meant,” he pushed his plate of chicken fingers closer to her, “you can have some, if you’d like.”

 

She stared, stunned by the fact that not only was he talking to her, but that he was also actively seeking her out. She had been so convinced that he wanted nothing to do with her, especially after how he left the last time, that it seemed almost too sudden. Before she could reply, Theon reached over the table and plucked a fry from her plate. “If you’re so keen on sharing, might as well share with all of us.” The next moment, they were all exchanging food, tasting everything that was on the table. It felt like family. She smiled at Jon and finally picked up a piece from his plate. He nodded slowly, then turned to Robb.

 

That was the first night she dreamt of him. At first the dreams were innocent, he was a constant looming presence and at most they’d talk about the day’s events. By the tenth day, she was already dreaming of kissing him; so when Margaery texted her to come to the frat house for the first official party of the semester, she gladly accepted, in hopes that alcohol and a nice time would cure her of this fixation. She threw on her coat and made for the party.  

 

She could hear the music before the house even appeared in her line of view; the closer she got, the more intense the stench of ale, invading her nostrils, until it was the only thing she could smell. As she was about to enter the old building, someone caught her wrist.

 

“Daenerys.”

 

She grimaced. “Hi, Robb.”

 

“Walk with me, please?” he motioned towards the small shack she knew the frat house used for storing different props and decorations.

 

She felt like she had no choice, so she simply nodded once. They walked side by side, until they reached the shed and Robb turned abruptly to her. “I miss you,” he said, that _stupid lost puppy look on his face_. Her stomach dropped. It was going to be one of _those talks_ … She wondered just how many times she would have to say the same words for them to register with him, for him to get over her.

 

“Robb, I… I can’t do this again. We’ve been over this…” she trailed off.

 

“I know, I know, I just… I just feel like you never gave me a chance to prove myself to you,” he took a step forward; Dany took a step back. _Again with the guilt trip..._

 

“Help me help you. Tell me what to do so you can understand that our relationship was not meant to happen? That it was a mistake and it shouldn’t have happened?”

 

“Give me a second chance,” he came closer to her, his hands shyly reaching for hers. He leaned in – she looked down, safely tucking away her lips from his reach – and whispered “I can do better; I want a do-over.”

 

“Except that, I can’t do that.” She sighed, still not meeting his eyes, “you know that.”

 

“I can’t stop thinking of you. Somehow… everything I do just brings me back to you,” he murmured; a pang of guilt went through her heart, and all the comebacks she had died in her throat.

 

“You’re drunk. We shouldn’t have this conversation now,” she tried reasoning.

 

“Here you are, love,” Margaery’s voice broke the moment and Robb distanced himself from her.

 

“I was just about to come looking for you,” Dany mustered a half-smile.

 

“Robbie will buy the first round for us,” she said, glaring at him.

 

“I’ll pay for it at the bar, you can just ask for them,” he mumbled. Robb shot her a last look and pivoted on his heels, disappearing inside the frat house.

 

“Ugh, Others take him. I care a lot about Robb, but he is making me want to strangle him.”

 

“I need a drink. I just want to get plastered.”

 

Margaery threaded their arms and led her inside. “Let’s go collect on those free drinks and then we’ll see what else they got in there.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

He was almost at the frat house when he heard her voice. “We’ve been over this…” Jon stopped, not because he was trying to eavesdrop on a private conversation, but because he was hoping to avoid Dany – or _Daenerys_ now, he supposed – as much as possible that night. However, he was not expecting his brother to be her interlocutor – “I know, I know, I just, I just feel like you never gave me a chance to prove myself to you.”

 

Jon cringed. This was the last thing he wanted to happen upon  – a heart to heart between Robb and his ex. Letting him go on and on and on _for hours_ about their relationship – or lack thereof, were he to believe Daenerys – was torture enough. He couldn’t help but feel guilty about how he met Daenerys. Somewhere in the back of his mind, his reasonable self was trying to make an argument about the absurdity of the situation he found himself in: first of all he hadn’t known she was his ex, secondly, there was no relationship anymore and Dany was a free woman he could pursue; moreover, they had shared a connection at Hot Pie’s, he was sure of it – she had accepted going on a date with him and had flirted back. _Still,_ a voice kept getting louder and louder, _you can’t just date your brother’s ex._ He winced. And why couldn’t he? Who made up these rules anyway?

 

Daenerys’ voice brought him back – “You’re drunk. We shouldn’t have this conversation now”. Just as he was about to intervene, Margaery appeared, fending off Robb and swooping Daenerys inside.

 

He waited a few moments before he went in himself. Theon spotted him and begged for a game of pool – so he did that for a while, Sam and Gilly joining just in time to see him kick Theon’s arse. While waiting for his turn, he would inconspicuously scan the room for silver hair. Somehow she had vanished, although he supposed she wasn’t doing it on purpose and that she was mainly hiding from Robb. He shook his head; he shouldn’t care about that. This had nothing to do with him. The further away he was from her, the better – unless they were confined to the same space, as it had happened at the post-exams dinner – he would avoid her at all costs.

 

Their game was attracting quite the audience – as he shot two more balls in, he heard a squeak of encouragement from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, in hopes of locating the source of the noise; just next to Bran, a tall girl with an incredibly long blond mane was apparently his biggest fan. She saw him and with a wink raised her plastic cup in a salute.

 

“I’ll let you beat me if I can get her instead,” Theon leaned in to whisper, being his usual _thinking-with-his-cock_ self.

 

“Right. It’s not like I was already kicking your arse,” Jon rolled his eyes, “for the second time tonight.”

 

Theon simply shrugged. He saw Daenerys coming down the stairs – making him miss the shot and lose his turn.

 

“Beer for our champion.” He turned and was met by the his eager fan.

 

He took it from her and murmured a ‘thanks’. Unfortunately for him, the girl expected something back for the beer, if he were to go by the way she was leaning in a bit too much to speak to him about trivial things, by the way she would smile at every word to come out of his mouth, by the way she sought to touch his biceps. Normally, he would miss such gestures, oblivious as he usually was around girls, had this girl not reminded him so much of Ygritte.

 

Theon’s “hell yeah!” made him look to his right – and there she was, glaring at him. He flinched, suddenly the phrase ‘if looks could kill’ going through his mind. Val – at least that was what he thought the blond had said she was called – leaned in to make one of the most indecent proposals he had ever heard. His entire face was so red, it felt like someone had thrown him into a great fire. Daenerys scowled even more, if that were possible, and mouthed a “ _really_ ” at him – then took off in a hurry.

 

“I’m… I…” he fumbled for an escape. “Theon, I yield. Thanks for the beer,” he said over his shoulder, and with that he left. He distinctly heard the “ _jerk_ ” thrown his way, yet that was not the reason why his stomach was in knots.

 

He walked as fast as he could, almost breaking into a jog, when he saw her stomping away from the frat house. “Daenerys, wait.” She heaved an exasperated sigh but did not stop.

 

He caught her wrist and spun her around – “Why? Why should I wait? Wait for what? To see every girl in the place throw herself at you and you getting all flustered?” Her voice was harsh, and he shrunk under the accusations.

 

“I… I don’t know.” Jon let go of her wrist. “I wanted to make sure you’re safe, I guess…” he added, unsure why he had followed her in the first place.

 

“This is so unfair–” she got so close to him, he could feel her breath on his face “–I can’t shake Robb off, you basically rejected me to my face because of him, and now I can’t even just date, while you-you are free to do as you please.” Her voice sounded strained towards the end and he could see her eyes shining in the street lights, the white almost turning to pink.

 

“I-”

 

“I don’t think I can do this, Jon Snow,” she interrupted him, gaze falling to the ground. “If I thought that we could all get over my _fling_ with Robb, I don’t think I can get over you ignoring me just because of the circumstances.”

 

He wanted to say something – anything; to maybe contradict her… but he didn’t. So she left, without looking back.

 

That had been the last time he had seen her. For the next month Daenerys had been actively avoiding everyone, except for Margaery, who only managed to get to her not because she was her best friend, but because Margaery had her ways of persuading people. It should’ve been the best thing for him, the distance should’ve made him stop thinking of her, and maybe just _maybe_ then he wouldn’t have felt like the worst traitor around his own brother. The Gods had other plans for him, because despite her absence, he couldn’t stop dreaming about her, everyone around him was always bringing her up somehow, and Robb just would _not stop with his annoying rants_.

 

His life took a completely different turn when he went to the first course of IP Law. He arrived just moments before Maester Marwyn did, and without thinking he just sat in the first available desk in the first row. As he made to put his jacket away he was met by a shocked Daenerys – brows furrowed and mouth agape, she wouldn't stop staring at him. He smiled and whispered a “ _hi_ ” – and that was it. For the first forty minutes of the class he felt hyper aware of her every move – every breath, every tiny furrow of her bushy brows, every time she avoided his gaze, every shift in her composure – _everything_.

 

“As you all know, half of your grade for this course will be on your group assignment. Now, I have been informed that due to certain requirements, we have a few newcomers. I think this is the opportune moment to announce the groups so that we don’t have any complaints. Assignments are due the last day of class, but you can send them before that date if you finish them earlier. No changes are allowed, unless a valid motive can be provided.”

 

The professor went on and on announcing the groups in alphabetical order. “... and finally, Snow and Targaryen. You will work on the existence of a copyright protection of potion recipes…” the rest of the phrase got sucked into a void. She didn’t say anything; she didn’t look at him, her gaze remained fixed on the professor and his instructions. He could only stare at her profile, suddenly caught by her beauty: lips plump and full, he could only dream of ever having the privilege of tasting, eyelashes long and curved – he had never thought he would find eyelashes beautiful before he had seen hers. The commotion of people grabbing their things and going out of the classroom snapped him from the reverie.

 

“I guess we should wait for those instructions first; then we can meet up in the library and establish who does what and when,” she finally said, turning to him just slightly, but still avoiding his eyes.

 

“I’m fine with whatever you decide,” he blurted, not wanting to say something that would make her run from him like the last time.

 

She picked up her laptop and jacket and made to leave. _This is madness._

 

“Daenerys, wait.”

 

She stopped, and with a sigh, faced him.

 

“Clearly this isn’t working. I think we should try and be friendly, for the sake of our project. For what is worth, I didn’t pick this optional.”

 

“It’s ok, I didn’t think that. You may be right. I made a mistake by cutting everyone off,” she shook her head. “Margaery is making me go out tonight with all of you.”

 

“So you’re coming?” he asked, a bit too eagerly – if he was being honest with himself.

 

Dany chuckled, her dimples obvious now. “Yes, or she’ll _‘drag me herself’_ – I believe were the words she used.

 

He smiled, shaking his head at their friend's method, even if he definitely wanted to thank her for convincing Dany to come back. “Friends?” he extended his hand. She looked down at it, then met him halfway. “Friends,” she simply replied and shook on it.

 

And so their friendship began – it was strange, as if somehow they had their memories altered and that very first encounter hadn’t happened, nor had that late night chat, or maybe they learned to coexist in an universe in which both of those things had happened, but did not affect them as much – just like that the awkwardness was no more. Every night, just before falling asleep, Jon would try to make sense of it all, to understand just how they managed to become this close, just how they went from avoiding each other to being together all day every day, until one day he didn’t; what was the point of trying to dissect it all, when he could enjoy it instead? Just this once he thought he could stop overanalysing and enjoy the ride.

 

The project brought them together in many ways – it wasn’t just having the handy excuse of spending time together – it was also seeing her in class the entire week, standing next to her, admiring her profile, her hair, but also her intelligence, her ability to pick apart even the most complex questions that Maester Marwyn was throwing at them, and her ability to recall even the most obscure case law, thus making the Maester praise her every single time. He also enjoyed having lunch with her – Wednesdays were theirs and only theirs, everyone else being stuck in their own optional courses or just having class on the other side of the campus, like Sansa, Gilly and Bran. They made a rule out of getting something the other could enjoy and swapping the plates halfway through their meal – and she would sit in front of him, because she claimed that _‘for once_ _I_ _’d like to not see just your profile’_ – he secretly loved it, even if he would roll his eyes every time she would say that. He would bring her coffee in the morning, knowing that she hated that very first morning lecture, and she would bring in snacks for when the munchies would hit them in the evening. Their last Wednesday class ended at 6:30 pm and she would sometimes express her exhaustion and inability to concentrate on whatever the professor was saying by fake sleeping on his shoulder or by sending him the worst memes to make him laugh in class. Jon would doodle at the end of her notebook or leave her elephant jokes on random pages, knowing she would find them someday and think of him.

 

Halfway through the semester, Sansa had started asking him about her – nothing serious at first, but as her questions were increasing, he was becoming more anxious. _It’s not like there was anything between them – right?_ Except there was; maybe it wasn’t a romantic relationship, but he knew everyone could tell just how close they had grown. Even Sam asked him about his intentions at one point. _She’s just my best friend_ – that’s what he always answered. If the others believed them, he couldn’t tell, and he tried not to care.

 

Around that same time, the Psychology Ball came around and Sansa and Gilly made them all go. It was their duty to return the favour, after all they had made a habit of attending both faculties’ parties, as a nod to the lawyers but also the psychologists in their group. Thankfully, Bran did not make them attend his own faculty ball, he was too shy to go on his first year – to their mother’s disappointment. The Psychology Ball was known as the last ball of the academic year; it was the least formal in the entire university, but also as the craziest. So instead of fancy dresses and tuxedos, people just went in club appropriate attire instead.

 

He was almost done styling his hair when Robb cornered him. His brother’s face made him brace himself for what came next.

 

“So, I’ve seen you getting all chummy with Daenerys.” He had been both expecting and dreading this moment. After Sansa and Sam, it was only logical that Robb would be the next to ask questions.

 

“She’s just my mate,” he said, avoiding Robb’s eyes in the mirror, concentrating on his unruly hair instead.

 

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with her,” Robb pushed further.

 

“We have three classes together and we are writing a paper for Marwyn, and we just can’t wing it with him.” Jon didn’t like at all where the conversation was going.

 

“You don’t need to explain it to me, it’s just that it sucks when I see how willing she is to spend time with you, yet she is still avoiding me.”

 

Jon sighed; he pivoted and tucked his white shirt into his black pants, first in the front, then in the back, “Look, don’t take this the wrong way, but maybe she is avoiding you because you just look like a lost puppy every time she just so much glances your way.” His brother glared at him. He persisted; he had had enough with his never-ending whining and moping around after a simple failed relationship. “We get along, we have a lot of classes together and we have similar interests. But that is beside the point. Maybe it’s time you get back out there, hmm? Tonight is a good time to do that – just have fun. Have a drink, dance, forget about Daenerys, have a one night stand, or get a rebound – just go and try meeting new girls. Preferably not from law.”

 

Robb said nothing, so he took that as a good sign. But as he turned to grab his coat, his brother spoke, “There’s just no one else like her, you know?” Jon stilled. He was right – in his eyes no one even came close to Dany. Robb continued, “for a moment, I thought there was something happening between you too.” He chuckled, shaking his head, “I’m just paranoid, I know you’d never do that.” He pat him affectionately on his back. Jon couldn’t say anything, feeling as if he had been punched in the stomach. “Now let’s go before Sansa calls to yell at us for being late.”

 

Jon recovered just in time, and with a shuddering breath and a grimace, he followed his brother.

 

Fortunately for him, Sam was waiting downstairs so the subject of his and Dany’s relationship was dropped… for the moment being. As they were walking to Margaery’s dorm – where all the girls were all getting ready – he digested Robb’s words. What was he doing being her friend, really? Was he just her friend or was there something more between them? Everyone could certainly tell that they were inexplicably close, and even if he had only been questioned by Robb, Sansa and Sam, he was certain that Daenerys had been asked the same thing by the rest of the gang. _What am I really doing here?_

 

Seeing her didn’t make him feel better – it was becoming much more difficult to think of himself as her best friend when she was dressed in the shortest _tightest_ black dress he had ever seen in his entire life, and her long hair purposefully messed up to look as if she hadn’t put in any effort in it. He was breathless – Sam discreetly poked him in his side, mercifully pulling him back to Planetos. They all greeted each other, the boys expressing their appreciation of the girls’ attire and vice versa. Thankfully, Daenerys walked next to Sansa and Gilly, leading the way, leaving him to chat up with Margaery, as Sam was engaged in a rather tense discussion with Robb. Unfortunately for him, Dany was walking just in front of him, giving him a perfect view of her amazing arse. He tried his best to pay attention to Margaery, willing his boner to die down; when that didn’t work, he hoped that his jacket would conceal it enough in the dim street lights.  

 

Theon was already waiting for them at the ball, queuing in the photoshoot corner. They took as many photos as they could, until the photographer shooed them away, then they went to the bar to order the first round of drinks. Robb and Theon went ahead with a few glasses, but he was waiting for the rest of their order. He was startled when two tiny hands covered his eyes – and although he couldn’t hear her laugh because of the loud music, he definitely felt it. He gently pulled her hands off of him, and turned to face her. Dany had him cornered between herself and the counter; she was smiling from ear to ear and her eyes sparkled in the flickering lights. He smiled back, looking at her appreciatively.

 

She leaned in and asked “What are you getting?”

 

He was hyper aware of how close she was to him – but the darkness of the club and the loud music offered them enough of an excuse to be this close. “Champagne, naturally.”

 

She giggled, “We did pre game at Margaery’s,” she swayed a bit and he reached out to grab her waist to still her. She looked at his hand, then back at him and smiled. “I think I may already be buzzed.”

 

He inhaled and his nose filled with her perfume, “Shall I cut you off already, then?”

 

She pouted.

 

“Not yet, then, but I’m watching you,” he chuckled.

 

She beamed and swiped a flute of champagne just as the bartender put them on the bar. Jon shook his head, already sensing how difficult his night was going to be.

 

He did keep his promise, his eyes always on the girls to ward off creeps but also to check on their alcohol intake. Sansa was happily and drunkenly dancing with Jeyne, and Jon hoped that she would finally tell her friend how she felt about her; Sam and Gilly were, as always, inseparable; Theon had thankfully dragged Robb to find some girls that didn’t already hate him; while Dany and Margaery were dancing and having the time of their lives. He drank less than he usually did at these events. The issue was mainly the fact that he had the perfect view to where Dany was dancing with Margaery, and he was completely mesmerised. He had fought it at first, tried his hardest not to look at Dany’s suggestive moves, not to observe that she wasn’t wearing a bra, not to get hard as she was grinding against her best friend. Alas, he was but a weak man, and he wasn’t doing any harm by just watching, _was he?_ So he did that until Margaery bumped into her brother, Loras, and she signed to him that she was stepping out for a moment.

 

Without a partner, Dany took a break from dancing, although he could tell she did not actually want to, and came up to him. She drank whatever remained in her glass, then turned to him.

 

“How come you’re not dancing?” she said, one eyebrow disappearing into her messy hair.

 

“I’m not the dancing type,” he simply replied. She made a confused face, so Jon leaned in closer to speak directly into her ear. “I said,” he swallowed thickly when he saw her closing her eyes as his breath touched the shell of her ear, “I don’t dance.”

 

She slightly turned her face to him, her lips dangerously close to his jaw, and he swore that he could hear her heavy breaths; her eyes flickered to his lips then back to his eyes – “liar” – she simply mouthed, and pulled him by his hand. He went willingly, not that he had any willpower to actually say no to her. She took him to the dancefloor, just as one of the sexiest songs started. She turned to him and fixed his palms on her hips, locking her arms around his neck. “You just follow my hips,” she simply ordered, as if it were the most trivial thing to ever tell him.

 

It couldn’t have been the alcohol, but seeing as he didn’t have much of it, no – this was all Dany – they were alone, just two fools dancing to the lewdest song ever composed, the two of them and the practiced undulations of her hips guiding him through the familiar steps. Halfway through the song she pulled her hair over her right shoulder, pivoted on her right foot, her hands on his to keep them in place, and she pushed herself to his front, her arse tortuously coming into contact with his erection. He made to move, but her left hand came up to cup his face – so he stayed – and they continued their dangerous dance. She lasciviously rubbed on him again, slowly sliding down in a hypnotising way, her left hand following the same path, her fingers scratching the side of his neck. He groaned and involuntarily pushed into her, making her breath hitch. Once she almost hit the floor, she came back up, her fingers leaving burn marks in their wake, then faced him, her eyes still closed. She was smirking – the strobe lighting illuminating her features in a steady rhythm, and for the second time that night, she took his breath away. She brought her face perilously close to his. The song ended but they remained rooted into place – not swaying anymore, both searching the other’s face for… _something_. His heart was pounding along the the bass of the next song. _H_ _e should kiss her. He should not._  

 

The decision was taken out of his hands when the music faded out and an obviously drunk voice announced the winners of the sweepstake. He took a step back, trying to act as if nothing had happened. He saw her grimace and the next thing he knew, she was running from him, just as Margaery was coming towards them.

 

Not allowing himself to change his mind again, he took Dany’s small purse from the table and told Margaery that she was sick so he would make sure she gets home safely. Her friend smirked and assured him that she would inform the others. He found her by the bathroom, looking miserable. He didn’t say anything, but shrugged out of his coat and placed it on her shoulders. He took her hand and made his way out of the crowded venue.

 

They arrived at her dorm quickly enough and with not much protesting from Dany, who took off her high heels and started skipping up the stairs. Her burst of energy disappeared as soon as he unlocked her door – she pushed past him and straight to the bathroom, where Jon was sure she was throwing up again. He filled a glass of water and went after her. She was hovering over the toilet, her forehead in her left hand and groaning, most likely regretting all the drinking. He sat on the floor, just behind her, and gently started rubbing her back; she arched into the touch without speaking. He couldn’t tell how long they remained that way.

 

When she seemed to have emptied the contents of her entire stomach, she got up, drank the water he brought her and brushed her teeth. For the first time that night she seemed shy. She sheepishly smiled at him, but avoided his eyes, “Would you like to stay?”

 

He shook his head, “I don’t think it is a good idea, Daenerys.”

 

“Just _Dany_ , please. I didn’t mean it that way,” she defended.

 

“Do you want me to stay, _Dany_?” he gently pushed on her chin to make her look at him.

 

“Yes,” she barely whispered.

 

So he stayed. When they woke up she didn’t mention anything of the dance, so he didn’t either – even if she sounded a bit surprised when he called her Dany, yet she didn’t correct him. When he got to his place, he was relieved to see Robb hadn’t spent the night there, thus successfully saving him lying to his brother again, and was happy to find Jeyne blissfully sleeping next to his sister. He did a general check in on the group chat and went to sleep in his cold bed.

 

Since that night, his life had been irreversibly divided into before the dance and after the dance. He thought it most peculiar how their friends had ceased asking about their friendship, and they seemed to be closer than ever. However, it just furthered his dilemma since now he was even more torn between loyalty towards his brother and his feelings for Dany. What was even more suspicious was the fact that Robb had stopped his usual _almost-daily-pity-parties_ – although Jon refused to ask him about it, afraid it might prompt his brother to tell him again how much he loved her and how _unfair_ it was that she had dumped him.

 

Before the dance he didn’t feel jealous when a random dude would check Dany out when they were at the pub; he didn’t feel anxious when she would not answer his messages; he didn’t feel entranced by her whenever she pulled him by his hand; he didn’t feel like he couldn’t say no to her.

 

However, that hadn’t been the moment it all changed; no, the moment their relationship irreversibly changed had been at the last party of the year at the frat house. Since it was their last year in law school, Robb made everyone attend, as a last opportunity to drink before their exams started.

 

He had arrived at the frat house before Dany or the other girls, so he drank a few beers and played darts with Theon. Just as he was about to send her a message, she startled him with a peck on his right cheek.

 

“Hey, you.”

 

“Everything alright?” he asked, looking around to spot Margaery.

 

“Yeah, Marge just needed my help with something,” she explained. “Come,” Dany pulled on his arm towards the bar, “let me buy you a beer as an apology for keeping you waiting.” She turned to their colleague behind the bar, “two dark ales, please.”

 

Something was eating at her, he could tell by the way she kept worrying her bottom lip in between her teeth and her constant fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Before he could ask, she snatched the beers and made her way to the upper floor, so he followed.

 

She stopped on the small balcony facing the back yard. Dany leaned on the railing and offered him his beer. Yet she didn’t speak, nor did she look at him. Jon was getting concerned. She looked too serious; he couldn’t help but wonder whether her behaviour had anything to do with Marge.

 

She said something under her breath, but the wind blew her words further away from his ears. “Sorry, what?” he inquired.

 

“How would you define our relationship, Jon?”

 

He was confused. “Where is this coming from?”

 

“I’ve been thinking a lot about us. What am I to you, Jon?” she finally looked at him. “Am I your best friend?”

 

“You know you are,” he swallowed, wishing he had stopped drinking two beers ago.

 

“And you are happy with me being just that?” she took another sip of her beer.

 

“I… I don’t know if we should be having this conversation. You know exactly why,” he nearly begged. _Please don’t make me say it._

 

“Maybe we should have had this conversation a long time ago, Jon.”

 

“What do you want from me, Dany?”

 

She grimaced. “I don’t think you’d ever be willing to give me what I _really_ want.” Dany downed the rest of her beer and placed the empty bottle on the floor.

 

If she was baiting him, then it was working, and like the lovestruck fool he was – he bit on her hook, “Try me.” He took a big swig of his beer, hoping to still his nerves.

 

“I want…” she inhaled deeply and looked right into his eyes as she continued, speaking so fast it felt like she was trying to get it all out in one breath, “I want _you_. And I don’t mean as my best friend. I want to let go of everything that is holding me – us – back;  I want to be consumed by your love; I want to let you love me exactly how you want; I don’t want to hold back on loving you just for your brother’s sake – somehow it would be worse than settling; I feel like no one knows me or understands me like you do. It’s almost scary how well you know me; when you look at me, my heart starts beating so fast that sometimes I’m afraid it may burst out of my chest. And just _once_ I’d like to know how being loved by _you_ feels like.”

 

And with that he was sober – as if he had never had a drop of alcohol in his life – the entire confession struck him like lightning, coursed through his veins and filled his heart with the courage he never thought he possessed. All because _h_ _e wanted_ all those things she said she did; without thinking, he jumped into the ocean of emotions, consequences be damned – and kissed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tune in for chapter 5, preferably sooner than you’d expect it! What was your favourite part of this chapter? Did Jon give in too easily? 
> 
> I also made myself a moodboard and I am slowly making one for each chapter. Come say hi to me on tumblr – https://adecila.tumblr.com/


	5. Standstill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because plans rarely go *exactly* how you want them to – Jon has a freak out; Margaery needs some time with Dany; and Dany receives some big news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are picking up right where we left in chapter 5 – one more chapter left! 
> 
> A big thank you to all the _thirsty bitches_ for their undying support and for enabling my shit lol. Thanks to them the rating has gone up, you’ll see in a bit why ha. More to come in chapter 6. Oh and as Roney would say – half of the fun in my fics is in the tags - just updated them ;).
> 
> A huuuuuuge thank you and my undying love and support to LustOnMyFingers who is the most amazing human being I have ever had the chance to find on this planet and who provided beta for this chapter! Any slip off (if found) is on me ha
> 
> To my two most _annoying_ fangirls who harassed me yesterday, *eye roll* hope you’re happy with this chapter, now you owe me hehe...

 

He was definitely in trouble, but he couldn’t bring himself to agonise any more about it. He had wasted enough time overthinking. At least somehow, the universe decided to give him a second chance at this. _He will not let this gift go to waste_ – no, such an occurrence was bound to be as rare as seeing the Red Comet twice in a lifetime.

 

So he kissed her – he started slow, his first contact with her lips being so delicate, desperately trying not to scare her. When she didn’t pull back – that had been his greatest fear, that despite her previous confession she might actually not want _this_ ; because there’s a difference between wishing and actually getting what you think you want – he didn’t stop, but deepened the kiss, praying the moment would last forever. He threaded his right hand through her silky hair, and used his left to bring her closer by her lower back. Out of its own volition, that same hand started sliding lower to her firm arse he had admired from afar, and he couldn’t help but squeeze it, remembering how she had rubbed against him on that dancefloor. She moaned and her fingers interlinked behind his neck, pulling him further down to her – a groan passed from his throat to her lips and it reverberated through their bodies.

 

A loud cheer came from downstairs and they abruptly separated, as if burned by the contact. It was still just the two of them on the small balcony. He didn’t get a chance to say something because as soon as they made eye contact, Dany ran. The words died on his lips and he was frozen into place. It took another loud cheer to startle him out of the shock. He had to go after her. He couldn’t leave her like this. _No._

 

He bumped into Margaery on his way out – who scolded him for not accompanying Dany. He knew she was right, plus it gave him the proper justification to follow after her. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started typing. The closer he was to her studio, the less confident he felt. Maybe she had fled because she realised she didn’t really want for this to happen. Maybe he had miscalculated; in the yellow light of the street posts he didn’t seem as sure of himself as he had been when he took the plunge and kissed her. His breaths were coming out laboured and it wasn’t from walking uphill. He had fucked it all up. He should have never kissed her. What if he just lost his best friend over a selfish kiss? What if she had decided then and there to end whatever friendship they had? What if she was the strong one and decided to end this – whatever this was – and thus push him out for Robb’s sake? But it wasn’t just Robb now, no, it was everyone else; how would he be able to sit at the same table as her without yearning to kiss her? _What have I done?_

 

His ears were ringing by the time he got to her building. He could see her bathroom light on, he just hoped she hadn’t forgotten it on and was somewhere else instead. He sent another message. _Should he go up or should he just leave?_ Regardless of what happened, it was his duty to make sure that his friend was safe. He typed another message – **Please, just let me know you’re safe. It’s alright if you never want to see me again. It’s alright if you never want to talk to me again. Just tell me you’re in there and safe. I’ll be waiting for your message**.

 

The seconds barely dragged on – he couldn’t wait anymore so he went to her door. As much as he wanted to see her, he didn’t want to force her to do anything. **I am at your door. Just make some noise inside so I know that you’re in there and I’ll leave.**

 

Luckily, the familiar twist of the door knob came shortly after he sent the message. And there she was, looking at him with those big eyes that had enchanted him from the very first moment.

 

He swallowed down his instinct of picking her up in his arms and holding her close to his heart – “I-I am glad you’re ok. Thank you. I’ll keep my promise now.” His eyes dropped to her door mat, he just could not bear to look at her, afraid he may kiss her again if she kept looking at him that way – so he took a step back.

 

He thought he imagined it when she said, “Please, don’t go, I want you to stay.”

 

He looked at her, the words taking him aback, but he did not trust himself around her. “I don’t think that is a good idea, Dany.” So he turned away, even if he could feel his heart breaking in his chest. He had rejected her once – but that was before, when he didn’t know her like he did now, when his feelings were a mere spark in an enormous hearth, not when they were raging with the fire of a thousand suns.

 

He was stopped by her body colliding with his back, her small hands encircling his torso in a crushing hug. “I don’t want to lose you. I am so scared, I don’t know what to do,” her muffled voice was melting his resolve, his own fears mirroring hers. She knew him so well. He covered her hands with his, pressing harder, trying to soak up as much of her as he could.

 

“Me neither,” he whispered. This had to be done; they were adults and this was real life. They needed to have a pragmatic conversation about their relationship and how to proceed next. He took her hands into his and turned to face her. He pushed her chin up and slightly crouched to meet her eyes, “Let’s go inside. Just to chat. Ok?” She nodded so he took her back inside and pulled her on the couch to sit beside him.

 

This was it – the point of no return. He inhaled deeply and put his heart in her hands – he told her how he could not regret their kiss, that he was so very much in love with her, despite trying his best not to be, that she had been on his mind from the very moment they had met, that he had been absolutely gutted to realise she had been Robb’s girlfriend at one point, that he wanted her in his life. Next thing he knew, she was kissing him again, and he was pulling her to straddle his lap, a primal need to mark her his coursing through his veins, making it impossible to think straight.

 

She stopped him just in time; they needed to sort some things first. Were they really going to do this? Could he do it and not feel like an absolute traitor around his brother? As Dany put it, they had two choices – ignore it and move on or accept it for what it was and try to come up with a good way of telling Robb. He definitely hated lying to all their friends, and especially to his siblings, but he would hate even more to lose Dany, since he was sure he could never go back to being just her friend.

 

So they agreed – they would keep their relationship a secret and find a way to break the news, but only after their exams.

 

 

He sneaked back to his shared flat just in time. What was more surprising than him doing that, was Robb also trying to sneak in around 7 am – the peculiar element being not that Robb had spent the night out, but that he was being coy about it.

 

 

The days following their first kiss had been incredibly dull – between studying for the classes he didn’t share with Dany, finishing up his Master’s Thesis, and trying to keep up with a healthy schedule, he barely had any time for himself. What was worse is that they hadn’t seen each other since that night – he was studying with Robb and Sansa, like he had always done, and Dany was doing the same with Margaery. He was counting on seeing her during his evening jog, but Sansa had been accompanying him, ruining his plans. His last resort was just to wait for the IP Law study sessions he scheduled with her, but even so he had to wait, optional courses being the very last exams programmed by the school. They would text during the night – yet another thing she had changed about him; he didn’t used to be the one to be stuck to his phone all day and night, nor the one to text people that much – he cherished those texts as he would love letters.

 

 

Two whole weeks without seeing her had passed when he went to her studio for their study session. Something about not seeing her during all this time was making him act jittery. She swung the door open even before he reached it and threw herself in his arms. He held her close and enjoyed the feeling of her body wrapped tightly around his.

 

“I have missed you so much,” she said into his ear, then peppered kisses along the side of his neck.

 

He shuddered, “So have I. Thank the gods I have you to myself for three whole days.”

 

“Mmmm,” he felt rather than heard her agreeing murmur. She pulled him inside by his hands and went to the stove, where fresh coffee just finished being brewed. He took his laptop and books out of his backpack and made himself comfortable at the study table. Dany approached him with two steaming cups. He took one from her hand and pulled her close again. They were just two fools smiling like lovestruck idiots, simply revelling in the other’s company for the first time in two weeks. He intertwined the fingers of their free hands and brought them up to kiss them one by one; she giggled – he knew exactly how ticklish she was. She locked their lips in a passionate kiss and he gladly accepted it. Dany tugged on his hair with her now free hand, making him groan.

 

Jon pulled back to put his forehead against hers. “How am I supposed to study when you look at me like that, kiss me like that and touch me like that?” he chuckled, “are you trying to make me fail?”

 

She glared at him, “Jon Snow, I am offended. Me, trying to seduce the top student to make him fail? I would _never_ ,” she accentuated the last word with an indignant huff. 

 

He raised an eyebrow, not backing down in front of such accusations. Two could play this game. He finished his coffee, eyes still trained on her, then left the cup on the table beside him. She mirrored his moves, the playfulness in the way the corner of her mouth arched not lost on him. As soon as her fingers left the cup on the table, he lunged at her, scooping her into his arms and made for her bed.

 

She squealed but did not try to stop him. He dropped her on the small bed, hovering over her. Dany pulled him down and bit his lower lip, the pain shooting from the lip directly to his cock. She was pulling on his t-shirt so he obliged – and took it off, then proceeded to take off her shirt. He left a trail of open-mouth kisses from her mouth to her bellybutton, just like he had been dreaming to do since the moment his eyes fell on her, her moans prompting him for more. He pulled down on her yoga pants and on her panties, all intentions of studying long forgotten. She brought him back to her mouth, her kisses so intoxicating he couldn’t concentrate on one train of thought. Her hands squeezed his butt through his jeans, a moan involuntarily passing from his mouth to hers.

 

He could not stop kissing her, so much he had missed about her – not just her body, but her smile, her laugh, her eyes and just how silky her hair felt in between his fingers. His left hand travelled in between her thighs to find her wet and plump and ready. His cock strained against his tight jeans and he had to break the kiss to breathe deeply in hopes of short-circuiting his arousal.

 

She was writhing under him and in that moment he felt as if his only purpose on Planetos was to make her happy – which now it translated into making her climax. So he did just that: he softly brushed his fingers against her folds, a mewl encouraging him to explore more, he nudged them apart, his middle finger effortlessly gliding against her skin. She was so wet it made his own mouth water in anticipation, yet he would deny himself just this once, just to see if he could make her break around his fingers. Dany gripped his other forearm with a force he never thought possible from such a small person, her other hand clenching around his shoulder, manicured nails engraving half-moons in his skin and he never felt prouder to wear such marks. A hushed “yes” as he started rubbing her clit, gently at first, but picking up in pressure and rhythm – harder and faster and sharper. He pried his eyes from her cunt to look up at her – all dishevelled and panting and needy – begging him for more, asking him not to stop, praising him when he hit just the right spot. He was panting and could feel his blood being set aflame just from seeing her face contorting in rapture. As he felt her body starting to shake under him, he thrust his fingers in her, and she finally broke. She held on to him so tightly that Jon felt every twitch of her body reverberate through his own, her eyes shut tightly, lips parted, incoherent words escaping her. _Bliss_ – that’s what her face read once she came down from her high – complete, utter bliss.

 

She languidly opened her eyes and smiled; she pulled him down in a slow, delicate kiss, one hand moving to his groin, stroking his erection through his jeans. A shrill buzz made them abruptly stop, panic etched on her features, as he raked his brain for an explanation.

 

“The intercom,” she said, suddenly recognising the source of the noise. Her eyes went wide, “ah fuck, it’s Sam. He texted me last night asking to join us and I couldn’t find a reason to say no to him.”

 

He pushed himself off of her, “damn, he has the worst timing.” He stood to look around for his shirt, “just give me a moment, I cannot go out like this,” he motioned to his still hard dick.

 

“Bathroom. I’ll distract him for a bit.” She apologetically looked at him, then got dressed. He was about to enter the bathroom when she pulled on his hand, “here,” she kissed him, “until we are alone again.”

 

He groaned. The intercom buzzed again. “This is making it worse. Just go,” he chuckled. He closed the door and sat on the edge of the tub, hoping the cold surface would tame his boner.

 

“… oh I must have forgotten my cell in do not disturb mode,” he could hear Dany’s muffled voice, “I am so sorry.”

 

“It’s no problem, really. I just thought it peculiar since I also tried Jon. You must have already been studying hard,” Sam replied. Hearing him was in fact helping, his arousal down to a simmer now that he was safely away from Dany. _Wait, what was that – did he just imply they were doing something they shouldn’t? Did Sam know?_ Panic gripped him at the underlying meaning of their friend’s phrase.

 

“Jon’s just in the loo. Want coffee? We just had some.”

 

He willed himself to take a few deep breaths – _it’s just paranoia_ – he repeated like a mantra. Sam was usually oblivious about such things and he had a tendency of saying cryptic things. _No, he had nothing to worry about_. At least now his boner was definitely dead, fear and guilt had taken care of it. He quickly splashed some water on his face and went to face Sam.

 

“Hi mate, I thought I heard your voice,” he nonchalantly said, as he shook his friend’s hand.

 

“Hello. Is your phone also on silent?”

 

He shrugged, “I guess.”

 

Dany saved him when she brought Sam’s cup over, “Shall we begin?”

 

They studied without interruptions for three whole hours. Jon had to admit that they quickly fell into a good rhythm and that having Sam there was useful, his insight proving to be quite invaluable. Dany made sure to sit Sam in between them so she was facing him directly when studying, and she would sometimes sneak a smile at him when Sam wasn’t looking.

 

The closer they were getting to their lunch break, the harder it was for Jon to concentrate – so he let himself be distracted by Dany. How she would play with the lock of her hair that had escaped her bun halfway through their studying session, how she would chomp down on a pencil when she was particularly focused, how he wanted to sink his teeth in her neck every time she rotated her head, her back probably stiff from sitting in the same position. She caught him red handed just as his eyes had travelled to her cleavage. She smirked and he mouthed _‘not sorry’_. She had an appalled expression, but he knew she was just playing with him. She cocked her head slightly, motioning to Sam, who was still elbows deep in his IT Law notes. Jon furrowed his brows – _what was she asking?_ Suddenly her foot brushed his thigh and he slightly shifted in his seat. His eyes widened. She bit her lip and then proceeded to shuffle through her notes, interested feigned on the last 2 pages she carefully laid in front of her. He was struggling to keep a straight face, fighting a moan as she slowly hiked her foot on the chair in between his thighs, and touched his groin. He clenched his jaw, strangling another moan before it even formed in his throat. He chanced a look at Sam – who was so submerged in his notes,  working hard on a word map they could all use to better understand the point where their two courses overlapped. She pushed against his semi hard-on and he widened his eyes in warning. She grinned, but pulled her foot back.

 

Sam’s phone started vibrating – “Gilly is downstairs with the food – thank the Seven!”

 

 

They ate with Gilly, then went back to their studying. The rest of the day went by uneventfully, as the study material was quite difficult so they stopped playing their games. He did not want to risk more suspicion, so he left at the same time with Sam.

 

The two other days he had reserved for Dany did not allow them any respite – except for the rare moments Sam would go to the bathroom and she would quickly jump from her chair to give him a kiss. He foolishly thought that the two days when they had their exams would offer more opportunities to be alone, but he soon realised that it was almost impossible to do so when they were supposedly nothing more than friends. Anyone seeing them kissing could potentially ruin everything. _Soon they would tell Robb and they would be free_ , he thought as he sat next to Dany in the auditorium, waiting for the subjects to be delivered.

 

 

The day of their last exam was met with much anticipation and the quick kiss Dany managed to steal from him in the still empty hall. That same night they all went to Hot Pie’s for drinks. Dany had been acting slightly atypical, she was quiet and less her usual bubbly self, and he felt uneasy and concerned about what could prompt the change in her mood. Margaery must have sensed it too, because he heard her ask about it. She avoided his eyes again and she cleared her throat.

 

“Um… guys, I have something to tell you all.”

 

 _She wasn’t going to just break the news…. Was she?_ Jon panicked.

 

Dany wrung her hands and on the next exhale she blurted, “I got accepted at the University of Meereen.”

 

His heart sank. Sure, they had previously spoken about it, she told him that she had applied for an LLM, in hopes to further her interest in migration law and traditional law systems, such as that of the Dothraki; he knew they had the best programme and that they also offered opportunities to volunteer and be closer to the subjects of law – that was the element which had made her enrol in the first place. As always, his Dany wanted to make a difference, she didn’t want to be another corporate lawyer, which only made him love her even more.

 

“Sweetie, that is amazing news, I am so proud!” Margaery’s reaction brought him back.

 

“Unfortunately I have to leave as soon as possible – the Dothraki supervisor is leaving in two weeks to Vaes Dothrak and if I want to visit it, there won’t be any other opportunity for the next 6 months. My brother is already looking for flights for me...”

 

They all hugged and congratulated her, and he forced a smile when his turn came. “You deserve this, I know how hard you’ve worked.”

 

She lingered longer than necessary in his arms. He needed a moment to process all of it. He was happy for her, but what did it mean for them?

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

The other students slowly started filtering out of the pub, until only their table and two others remained occupied. Soon enough, one by one their friends started leaving – Marge had been the first to claim she’d been exhausted – although Dany knew it to be a lie, yet she didn’t push, maybe her friend was just sad that she was leaving – and Robb had nicely offered to accompany her; Sam and Gilly were next, finally getting to enjoy some alone time; Sansa and Theon lingered, until she got a text from Jeyne; Theon left with a friend he bumped into when he went to bring another round of beer.

 

It was just the two of them, but it was hard to start talking. So she sat quietly drinking her ale, unsure what to say next.

 

“Dany, I…” Jon took her hand in his, just under the table.

 

She squeezed it back, wanting to reassure him. “I am sorry,” she said.

 

“Why are you apologising?” He gently pulled on her hand to make her look at him.

 

“Because now I have to leave and I am complicating everything.”

 

“That is not true. You are simply pursuing the career you love and you chose for yourself.”

 

She sighed; of course she knew that – but it didn’t explain the guilt she felt in her bones.

 

“We will find a way to survive it – I-I can come visit,” he fumbled. “Unless you don’t want me to?”

 

“Gods, no, that is the opposite of what I want,” she quickly added.

 

He let out a long breath, “I got worried for a moment, thought you wanted to get rid of me,” he chuckled, though she knew he was not as amused as he was trying to play it off.

 

She turned in her seat to face him, looking into his eyes, “Jon, that is the last thing I want. But this complicates things; between the papers I need to prepare and packing, I cannot deal with drama too. What if Robb won’t get it? What if Robb is going to hate you? I don’t care if he doesn’t want to speak to me again, but you… you are his brother. I cannot drop such a bomb and leave you to clean it up…” She let go of his hand and groaned in frustration.

 

“We don’t have to discuss this here. Come,” he said, and pulled her up. He was walking briskly, dragging her after him.

 

“Wait, what if someone sees us?”

 

“It’s night, there’s no one out, I’ll tell Robb we just stayed longer because we got hungry. Only if he asks,” he explained.

 

As soon as she unlocked the door, his mouth was on hers, and it felt so desperate her heart caught up in her throat, tears welling in her eyes.

 

She opened her eyes when he pulled back for air, to see him studying her face, as if searching for something specific. “I..” he swallowed thickly, “I kind of assumed we would have more time.”

 

When she opened her mouth, no words came out, so she simply nodded. He pulled her in a tight embrace, “I will wait for you for as long as it takes, if you also wait for me. I will be here. We can Skype, we can message each other, we can talk in the middle of the night, I can visit if it’s too complicated for you to do so, we can make this work. I am in it for the long run, Dany.” His voice broke as he eventually added, “only if you want me.”

 

“I have wanted you ever since I first saw you,” she tilted her head up to gaze into his eyes. 

 

He gave her a genuine smile this time as he cradled her face in his hands. “As did I.”

 

She kissed him so fiercely, imbuing her lips with all the love she held for him. That’s when she realised – _she loved him_. This wasn’t a flimsy crush, or pure carnal lust. She wanted to spend all her nights and all her days with him. She would do this right; she would do anything in her power to keep him.

 

They moved to her couch, the very one where they first decided to jump head first into this relationship and they simply stayed embracing each other, lazily kissing when that wasn’t enough. She felt guilty not being able to take things further in that moment, but when she tried to undress herself or to undress him, he would stop her, shaking his head, and pulling her closer to him. That was Jon, her Jon – always considerate and understanding. He stayed for as long as he could, then finally went home.

 

Her anxiety loomed on her shoulders like a ghoul, so she abandoned the idea of sleeping and slowly started packing her clothes. She must have passed out sometime in the early hours of the morning because she woke up at the insistent buzz of the intercom, only to find herself on the floor, in between mountains of clothes.

 

She rubbed her eyes and slowly headed to the door.

 

“Where have you been, I have been ringing both your cell and the intercom,” Margaery entered her studio.

 

“Umm I passed out while packing. Why what happened?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep at all. I need to talk to you about something and I want you to hear me out until the end and not just throw my ass out.”

 

“I am confused, but… this is not the first time you’ve acted this weird.” Dany went to the stove to prepare coffee. “Spill.”

 

“So. Ok. Here goes nothing.” Her friend was very jittery and couldn’t sit down; she tried it a few times, only to end up pacing, as much as the small studio allowed her. “I have been hiding something from you. I probably shouldn’t have but in the beginning I convinced myself that telling you served no purpose, besides to upset you. So I stayed quiet. It’s Robb – I have always had a crush on him. Ugh and as much as he hits on every walking and breathing woman he never spared me a second glance – guess I was a bit hurt by that, since I don’t want to brag, but usually guys notice me a lot.” She sighed, still pacing. “Getting distracted here. Anyway. So you went out with him and I pushed it down, ignored it. I also felt very guilty for being happy when you dumped him – but regardless of my feelings, everyone saw that you two did not click as a couple. Sure, you may be friends but together? Never.” Margaery turned to look at her, “Still with me?” Dany nodded. “Do you remember I had this class with Robb and at one point I was telling you how he would never sit with me, even if we are technically in the same group of friends?” Dany nodded again. “He approached me at the exam – and at first sure, he was being his annoying self, going on and on about you…”

 

Dany winced. Poor Margaery, having to listen to your crush pining for another girl…

 

“… then he started texting me, sometimes he would also drunk text me about you. That was not fun. I told him to piss off many times. I may have gotten jealous when I found him sucking face with a random girl at the Psy Ball… I had zero right, but the heart wants what it wants, _fuckboi_ or not.”

 

She listened attentively, sensing that this was just half of the story.

 

“We fought that night and then I ignored him for about a week. I refuse to give in that easily… well, at least I did in the beginning.” Margaery finally stopped pacing and came closer to her. “Do you remember the last frat party he made us all go to? When you got mad at me?”

 

Dany nodded, but averted her eyes. Of course she remembered that night – when Margaery made her think on her feelings about Jon, when she got mad at her for accusing her of sneaking around with Jon without telling her, which wasn’t true at that point; the fight which prompted her to confront Jon which in turn prompted the kiss which brought her into this mess – _how could she forget it?_

 

“At that same party, after you left, Robb begged me to forgive him and I did… and I don’t know how but suddenly he was kissing me and… and I liked it, D… I loved it.” She hung her head. “Which was probably a mistake. I just hope you can forgive me…”

 

“Robb Stark? Kissed you?”

 

Margaery turned her back to her, “Umm.. yes. And I kissed him back…”

 

“Margy…” she circled her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “That is amazing!”

 

“Wait what?” She scrunched her face. “Did you not hear the part where I kissed your ex?”

 

“Who cares? You said you like him. If you’re okay with the fact that I went out with him for a bit, then I am more than ok with you two dating.”

 

“I-I did not say that. I am so mad at him for doing that!” she huffed.

 

Dany pulled her into a hug, “Baby, no, no, it’s ok. I am so not mad at you. On the contrary. I hope that he can now move on. Err, I don’t mean to say that you’re a rebound,” she quickly added.

 

“But that’s the thing – how do I know I am not a rebound? How do I know he isn’t using me just to get closer to you or to make you jealous or…”

 

“Marge, stop. What happened? Tell me everything from the beginning.”

 

So she did. She told her how he apologised for presuming she liked him; how she was so mad at him and felt used; how she told him she was not another name in his long lists of conquests; how he had denied that and told her he wanted to change; how she challenged him to do just that – change for her; how he cheekily accepted _only if she was to date him once he was ‘clean’_ ; how she was so sceptical until she saw it with her own eyes how he refused the advances of a random girl after an exam; how he would text her every day to update her on his progress.

 

“… and last night? Of course he did not leave me alone the entire walk to my dorm. And then, he kissed my hand before he left!”

 

Dany smiled at her friend’s revolted expression. “Oh he is putting the charms on you. Careful, now… “

 

“Why does he have to be so cute?” Margaery yelled then slumped on the couch. “I swear I feel it’s impossible to ignore him.” She sighed, “You’re sure you’re still ok with me dating him?”

 

Dany chuckled. “Of course. Go for it. You did not have to ask for my permission. He’s not my property. I hope it works out for you, Margy, I really do. I love you so much and you deserve to be happy. If Robb makes you happy, so be it.”

 

“Ugh let’s just hope he keeps his promise,” she groaned.

 

“What did you make him do?”

 

“I might have suggested celibacy for at least a few months…”

 

Dany started laughing. “You. Did. Not.”

 

“Oh but I did, how am I supposed to know he is serious about me if he can’t keep little Robbie in his pants?”

 

She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

 

“I am the worst, I know,” Margaery started laughing.

 

“Oh I think in this case it is of the utmost importance to ensure he is serious, given his track record.” She finally stopped laughing like a lunatic and wiped the tears from her eyes.

 

“Thank you,” Margaery said and hugged her. “I don’t deserve such a great friend.”

 

“Nonsense, it is I who does not deserve you.” She hugged her harder, “I wish you would have told me before I started dating him, so I wouldn’t be in this mess.”

 

If her friend caught on that slip, she didn’t let it show.

 

“Ok, enough bitchin’, let’s get your shit packed so you can go on the adventure of your life!”

 

 

Three days later she was at the airport, all her friends with her. Despite how hard she tried to find a few moments to have a proper goodbye with Jon she had been unsuccessful, so she had to settle for a public one, in front of everyone. The only advantage to this was that she would not be able to sob uncontrollably nor think too much on the fact that she won’t feel his arms around her for an entire year.

 

Her Pa Aemon was coming with her to visit Meereen, so at least she wouldn’t be completely alone since the moment she stepped on the plane. She hugged everyone, getting teary eyed when she hugged Sansa and Gilly, and by the time she reached Margy, tears were falling freely on her cheeks. Jon was last. She hugged him as hard as she could, and inhaled as much of his scent as she could.

 

“I will miss you so much. Be careful, ok?” his voice was shaky and he squeezed her one more time before letting go.

 

“I promise,” she said, hoping he would get the true meaning of her words.

 

She looked one more time at all her friends – the family that she chose – and left.

 

 

 

The first two weeks in Essos had been very busy – from finalising her enrolment to the long trip to Vaes Dothrak where she had lived for two months. She kept in touch with the gang as much as she could, even if she was simply checking in before sleep; even Theon surprised her with funny Snapchat stories. Margaery was apparently going steady with Robb, and even if she was still very insistent on the celibacy rule, he never complained about it.

 

Jon, as patient and considerate as ever, would text her every morning when he woke up and every night before he went to sleep. Not much Skyping had happened while she stayed in Vaes Dothrak, but as soon as she got back to Meereen, a lot of sexy video calls ensued. She missed him more than she had anticipated and although distance hurt, she was delighted in the fact that her feelings for Jon were only getting stronger.

 

Their plans of Jon visiting were ruined when Jon was offered a junior teaching position at their law school; Christmas was also impossible to meet because Meereen did not have such a break, since they did not celebrate it; moreover, she had exams during that period, so they had no choice but to wait.

 

On Christmas Eve she was surprised when a small box arrived at her dorm. She clumsily opened when she saw it was from Jon – inside it held a Winterfell Law School shirt she knew all too well and a thick envelope. She opened it to find a lengthy letter from Jon.

 

_My dearest Dany,_

_Since the Gods still seem to enjoy putting obstacles in our way, I am taking matters into my own hands; I won’t be able to travel much, but I wanted you to have something of mine. This should make it easier for the next months. By my calculations, by the time you’ll get this, you will be halfway through your LLM. This is good news – just six more months until I get to hold you in my arms. I don’t even want to write about the other things I am planning to do to you…_

_I miss you like I am missing a part of me. Sometimes I lay in my lonely bed and I almost think you are not real; that my mind has somehow conjured you from my wildest wishes – you are everything I have ever looked for. Maybe I did dream you into reality. I am irrevocably yours now and forever._

 

The first paragraphs had her already in tears. In the rest of his letter he told her about anything and everything, even if they spoke daily, but somehow seeing his words in his handwriting was more meaningful to her. He told her about his job – that he enjoyed teaching more than he had thought – and that he was feeling bizarre having to treat their old teachers as colleagues; that Robb found a job in King’s Landing and that he was moving soon (although Dany suspected his sudden desire to move South had something to do with the fact that Margy herself was doing an internship there at Lannister & Associates); that Bran was already getting many internship opportunities from tech companies in Westeros and Essos; about how much Theon had changed (for the better) since he went back home to help his sister run the family business; that Sansa was enjoying her Gyldayn in Dorne and that she was much more relaxed since she had finally come out to their parents; that Sam had told him he was thinking of proposing to Gilly but that he was waiting for her to graduate. 

 

That night she fell asleep in Jon’s shirt and she dreamt that she was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter delivered. There are a lot of call backs to previous chapters, especially chapters 2 and 3 – I had this whole plan of making it come full circle ever since I transformed Inevitable from a one shot to a multi-chapter (so if you don’t remember those, might be a good idea to read them again – no pressure, only if you want :*). 
> 
> Working hard on chapter 6 to publish it soon, so keep an eye out for that. Thank you again to all of you who read this, liked it, theorised and encouraged me to write more. Your comments mean the world to me – honestly I cannot stress enough how important it is to let your writers know that their crazy love stories are appreciated. Writing fics has opened a whole new world for me, and boy am I glad I took the plunge. Anyway – it will all come down in chapter 6! Until soon, my lovelies!


	6. Inescapable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all been building up to this exact moment - Jon x Dany finally come clean about their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... I have no words. This is it, my first baby, finally concluded. It's been a long time coming. Thank you for your patience, I know I promised this a while ago. Basically, I had a job offer out of nowhere and I started working on December 3rd - the job got intense really fast, and although I had some days off around Christmas and New Year's, I had to write a fic for the Jonerys Sceret Santa, so it was my top priority. Then, somehow I put myself under so much pressure to get this right .. what I am trying to say is that last chapters are hard. Writing is even harder when you have to work from 8am to 5pm. 
> 
> As always, a big thank you to [LustOnMyFingers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LustOnMyFingers/pseuds/LustOnMyFingers) for reading this over, hearing me rant about this fic, keeping me in line, and just being an amazing friend. She is one of the people who encouraged me to write my first fic and publish it. 
> 
> Moodboard by me. More thank you notes at the end - now go read, and let me know if you liked it. I would love to hear what you think of the fic overall, or even just this chapter! 
> 
> Rating changed - *smirks*

 

It was a long flight from Meereen to Winterfell, which normally wouldn’t bother her, but this time it was different. Her hands were shaking with anticipation, she was exhausted – yet couldn’t sleep – too nervous to read or listen to music. She asked the stewardess for a chamomile tea, although something told her she wouldn’t be able to calm down until she was in Jon’s arms.

 

 

_Jon_.

_How could twelve hours feel like twelve months?_ She breathed in deeply – held it in until she counted to ten – then breathed out. They had spoken up until the last sixty minutes of her trip, when he needed to head to the airport.

 

 

She remembered how she didn’t want him to pick her up; yet _‘want’_ had nothing to do with it – in fact, she had dreamed of it several times during her lonely nights while camping in the Dothraki Sea. She just didn’t want to draw too much attention to it; but somehow, the stars had aligned, or the Gods had decided to give them a pass, and no one else was available to pick her up from the airport, except Jon. He also happened to be the only one able to offer her to stay at his place. She released a shaky breath, _one less thing to lie about_ , she thought bitterly.

 

 

Lying didn’t use to come easy to her before Jon, but people change, either because they want to, or because they have no choice. Lately, she had been spiralling, alternating between crippling guilt and extreme indifference; currently she was stuck in the former state. As the chief stewardess announced the landing, the same old questions were clouding her mind, forcing her to think on all the negative, on how everything could blow up in their faces. _Breathe._ She willed her heart to stop beating as fast, to focus on the positives instead. Her relationship with Jon had survived the distance, and they were closer now than ever – she was persuaded that there could be no other than Jon, that he had successfully ruined her for the rest of mankind. No one could compare to him now that she had welcomed him into her life. Still, she had no regrets; she hadn’t done anything _wrong_.

 

 

Yet, although subsided, a voice kept whispering – _what if Robb is going to see it as a betrayal? What if he’ll never forgive Jon? What if they’ll never speak to each other? What if…_ The plane descended, making her stomach do a flip, taking her out of her delirium.

 

 

She was torn between blaming and absolving herself of any and all guilt. At one point she had considered never coming back, leaving everything behind just to be able to start from scratch; that had lasted for less than a day, the thought of giving up Jon twisting her insides – she repented even thinking it in the first place.

 

 

As the plane’s landing wheels made contact with the asphalt, she pulled herself together; it would do no good to drive herself crazy with questions. She would deal with this as she did with everything in her life – head first.

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

He had been nervous for the past week, counting the minutes till she was in his arms. Somehow, they had survived the distance and the time apart; somehow, he loved her more, somehow, he wanted her more; and somehow, he had more to fear – this wasn’t about his brother anymore, it was about his own insecurities – _were his feelings still reciprocated? Would they be able to just pick up where they had left off? Would they be able to come clean to the others? Would it break them?_

 

 

A dozen questions flooded his mind, sucking the air out of his lungs, quickening his pulse; his hands tightened on the steering wheel, grasping it like a lifeline, needing to get his breathing under control, needing to reel in his emotions. He had faith in her, she had given him no reason to make him believe that she had stopped loving him. On the contrary – her texts had been as consistent as ever, as had their sexy video chats and the nudes she seemed to time right in the middle of his lectures – to rend him speechless and hard in front of his students, awkwardly sitting on his desk to hide his boner from the girls in the front row.

 

 

Absent-mindedly, Jon parked the car and jogged to the arrival gates, wishing he had never stopped smoking, just so he could still his hands, even for a moment. He didn’t know how long he had been walking back and forth, for despite checking his watch constantly, he couldn’t tell the time. The doors opened, sign that other planes had just landed, and he held his breath, searching for her pale head in a sea of brown and blonde tones.

 

 

There she was, struggling with two big suitcases and another bag draped over her shoulder, looking as radiant as ever. It hit him all at once, whooshing all the air out of his lungs, and he knew there would be no more hesitating this time around. She looked so different, but somehow the same – gone was what she called her Rapunzel hair, even her posture was different, and her style seemed somehow more sophisticated. Despite the obvious changes, she beamed just like before when her eyes finally fell on him, and he was sure he was sporting an identically large smile on his face. He couldn’t contain his joy, pushing through the crowd to meet her halfway in three long strides. She gave him one of the crushing hugs he had missed too much for his own good, and he responded in intensity, slightly lifting her off the floor, her bag dropping with a thump. Her breath hitched and her hold on him tightened; he could already feel his throat constricting, struggling to keep back all the tears that were about to spill on her silvery hair.

  


“Jon…” she whispered without breaking their hug.

 

“Please, tell me I’m not dreaming, that you’re actually here, in my arms,” he pleaded. “Or I swear I’m taking the first plane to you if I wake up and it was all in my head.” His trepidation obvious, he couldn’t stop himself from expelling another shaky breath.

 

 

For a millisecond that dragged on for much too long, he feared she might not feel the same for him, that he had waited too long, but before he could lose himself in the pit of dispiritedness, she replied, “I’m here, Gods, I’m here, I’ve missed you so much.”

  


He pulled back and set her on the ground, without letting go. Messily, he brought her lips to his, urgently needing to taste her, yearning to have her, barely restraining himself to pick her up and make love to her in his car. All the nights he had dreamed of kissing her again paled in comparison to the actual moment their lips touched, the taste coming back to him like a memory he had locked away in the farthest corner of his soul, overwhelming his senses – she was everywhere: his mouth, his lips, his nose, his eyes, his arms – weakening his legs and his mind. His eyelids fluttered shut, the intensity of the moment too much for such a public setting, yet he couldn’t stop, nor did he want to. He felt her hands in his hair, gently raking his scalp, her fingers getting tangled in his curls; he leaned into her touch, wanting more and more. She broke the kiss, but only withdrew a small distance from his lips, so close he could feel her breath tickling his beard, and he smiled, their foreheads pushed together, bodies still flush in an intimate embrace.

 

 

Jon opened his eyes, and despite his watery vision, he could see her as clear as ever. He bent down to pick her suitcases and they made their way to the parking lot, her hand never leaving his – not even when he was driving – gently squeezing it from time to time, bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. They spoke of everything and of nothing on the way back to his flat, enjoying for the first time in a year her presence, the crisp sound of her voice, the weight of her left palm over his right, as he was shifting gears. He could barely contain his emotions, he had never realised just how viscerally deep his love for her ran; now that she was finally back, he would not waste a moment more.

 

 

He pulled up in front of the building and they quickly stumbled into his flat, giggling and stealing kisses every few steps, despite Dany chiding him twice for his impatience – but even she could not keep herself from touching him. As soon as he unlocked the door, she pulled him inside, suitcases forgotten, had he not had the awareness to pull them inside with him.

 

 

Between scattered clothes and shoes, giggles and grunts, moans and murmurs, they made it to the bathroom and managed to hop into the shower, only stopping to turn on the faucet. She walked directly under the curtain of water and he wanted to kiss everywhere it touched her, mesmerised by how she moaned when hot water fell on her skin – all frenzy and urgency suddenly forgotten. It was all too much again, that intense feeling of her, where his chest constricted and almost all air was being forcefully pushed out of his lungs. She was staring at him through wet lashes, big smile on her face and her right hand extended in a silent invitation. He took it and turned her to face the sliding doors, blindly searching for the shower gel. They lagged longer under the scalding water, relishing in each other’s company after an entire year spent apart.

 

 

He wrapped her up in his bath robe, laughing at how she almost disappeared in the pile of fluffy white cotton. Dany playfully glared at him, and he gently touched her nose while making a ‘ _boop’_ noise; she stared incredulously but quickly burst into laughter at his ridiculous gesture. He silently followed her into his small bedroom.

 

 

The sun had set, the street lights shining through the room, bathing it in a diffused yellow glow, enough so that they wouldn’t need to turn on a lamp to find their way to each other. He leaned against the door frame, anticipation stirring him again; with a slight roll of her shoulders, she let the robe fall to the floor. He lunged, predator and prey, drawing her closer; starting at the base of her neck, kissing and licking forgotten droplets of water, marking her, lower and lower, over her right shoulder, over her spine, vertebrae by vertebrae until he hit the base, then over her fleshy buttocks, taking small bites as he went over them – her hands felt blindly for his head, a last attempt at being anchored to this world, but he needed her to let go; she was intoxicating, making him a bit unsure of his legs, so he finally kneeled – to her, his one and only, his Dany.

 

 

She whimpered and he abandoned all restraint – diving into her cunt, needing to taste her, as much as he could from his position – he pushed further, licking and exploring, his hands firmly anchoring her in place. Dany was far from quiet, he could hear her moans filling the room, echoing through the entire house as he feasted on her; she faltered as he sucked on her – he needed more access, so he stopped and picked her up to drop her on his bed – then continued ravishing her. She planted her hands in his hair, pulling hard on it with each pass of his tongue over her clit. He knew he would never get enough of her when the thread keeping her grounded finally snapped, trembling in his arms, panting and calling out his name like a long-forgotten chant – _Jon! Jon! Jon! Jon! Jon!_ …

 

 

He allowed her but a moment of respite, gently kissing the inside of her thighs then making his way up her body, her heart beating as fast as his under his lips, until he finally reached her mouth. She pulled him in a lazy kiss, moaning and searching for his cock with her right hand.

 

 

The taste of her cunt lingered on his lips, making him wonder whether she enjoyed tasting herself as much as he did. His cock pulsed in her delicate hand and he grunted against the control he was trying so hard to reclaim; he would give and give, for as long as she needed, denying himself for her, for as long as she wanted. He left her delicious mouth in favour of tasting more of her skin, exploring her body just as he had dreamed for the past year. He was just teasing her left nipple with his teeth when she started begging; so, he did what he wished he had done from the moment he kissed her that very first time.

 

 

Their breaths mingled as he finally entered her, too hot and too tight and too much all at once – he needed a distraction, so he stole her breath away in another sloppy kiss. She grabbed his buttocks, pulling him deeper, _‘don’t stop’_ falling from her mouth in between moans, so he didn’t, wanting to give her everything he had. All too soon he felt her shaking under him, and he was falling immediately afterwards, no longer able to prolong the moment. His ears buzzed at the sensory overload, his lungs burning, his eyes stinging as he felt her arms squeeze him tighter – his Dany.

 

 

Only their laboured breaths could be heard in his silent flat. Jon nuzzled her ear, inexplicably shy, and before he got to say it, she said it first, “I love you,” voice leaden with the same emotions that were making it hard for him to speak. “You're mine, Jon Snow. All mine,” she added.

 

 

He took a shuddering breath before he replied, “All yours. I love you.”

 

 

 

They made love three more times before they finally fell asleep in each other’s arms. He woke up to the smell of coffee and an empty bed; he lazily made his way to the kitchen where Dany was preparing breakfast in his shirt, headphones in her ears, softly singing along to a song while making toast. He leaned against the door frame, not wanting to startle her, but also because he was enjoying the view a bit too much – he could definitely see himself waking up like this for the rest of his life.

 

 

Despite his efforts, she startled when she turned, “Gods, how long have you been there?”

 

 

“Not long enough,” he cheekily replied.

 

 

She walked up to him to give him a short kiss, “Breakfast?”

 

 

“Yes, please.” He took a seat while she finished serving them the toasted bread with crushed tomatoes and Dornish olive oil. He knew there were certain things they needed to discuss, yet he dreaded being the one to bring them up. “So, Sansa’s last ball this weekend?” he started with an easier subject.

 

 

“Umm,” she drank from her orange juice, “I have to admit I am unsure how I feel about that.” She sighed and turned to him, “Are we going together, Jon?” she asked.

 

 

He swallowed, “It depends.”

 

 

“In the past year I have been thinking on how to go about things, about us, and this can’t go on forever.”

 

 

_No more hiding._

 

 

“I know. We will come clean now. No more excuses, I promise,” he pulled her hand in his, placing a small kiss on her knuckles.

 

 

She smiled, “We should do this face to face. When are the others arriving?”

 

 

“They are driving from King’s Landing together, arriving the day of the ball.”

 

 

“I haven’t spoken to Robb in forever, except for the few words on the chat… I get anxious every time I see his name flash up on the screen, I don’t think I could look him in the eye and deny us if it came down to it,” Dany poured more olive oil on her toast.

 

 

He sighed; he knew all too well what she was talking about, “I have been meaning to ask, have you told Margaery anything?”

 

 

“About us?” she cringed, “No, we haven’t spoken about you, and she’s just been concentrating on other important things, like her love life” 

 

 

He raised one brow in a silent question.

 

 

Dany chuckled, “Not my story to tell, plus I want to see your face when she tells us.”

 

 

“You know I will be thinking about that all week,” he faked a pout.

 

 

“She swore me to secrecy, so…” Dany trailed off, sipping on her coffee. “Anyway, regardless of whether or not I join you for the ball, I don’t think it’s a great idea to tell them before the party…” Dany groaned, “In case, you know, it goes to shit.” She covered her face with her free hand, as if that would alleviate any of her guilt.

 

 

“Hey,” he pulled on her hand and she easily fell into his open arms, “We’ll do this together. It will be alright, I am sure we’re making it worse in our heads than it is,” he tried reassuring her, although in the depths of his subconscious, a small voice echoed her concerns. She hummed against his chest – he knew she was still unconvinced. “Come with me, it’s been a while since I have seen you in a pretty dress,” he chuckled against her temple.

 

 

“I might do that, _if_ I find the right dress.”

 

 

 

The next days passed in a blur – grading exams during the day and spending the night in Dany’s arms, drunk on her body, high on her love. Jon messaged in the group chat at one point that Dany had arrived and that she would be staying in his flat, since he was _“the one adult in this entire group with an actual free room”_. No one had even batted an eye, although Sansa had been the one to say that he was keeping her _“for himself”_ , making his heart stop, until Margaery had added that she felt betrayed that because of Jon, she had to remind everyone she _“had been Dany’s best friend first”_ , which prompted an entire exchange on who was her best friend, which had turned in a competition for Dany’s affection. Soon enough, the girls started begging Dany to come to the ball. She had looked at him from across the room, shaking her head in exasperation, but she typed that she would consider it, even if she had a busy week and no dress. The subject was closed when Sansa made Dany promise that she would at least join them for the more intimate party at the Stark mansion the weekend after graduation.

 

 

The day of the ball he was surprised to see a black long dust bag hanging from the window frame. “Either you’ve become a vigilante, and this is your costume, or you’re coming to the ball.”

 

 

“You were very convincing last night,” she said, coming into the room and ducking under his arm. “And I found just the perfect dress in a vintage shop – I couldn’t help myself.”

 

 

He kissed the side of her face and slid his hand under her cotton shirt, “Oh,” he grinned when he realised, he was touching only skin.

 

 

She continued, “I will meet you there, if we can’t show up together, I want you to at least be surprised.”

 

 

“Mmmm… I’d love that,” his hands trailed up to palm her right breast, and she shuddered when his thumb brushed her nipple.

 

 

“You’re insatiable, Jon Snow. I thought you’d had enough of me this morning,” yet she did nothing to stop his explorations.

 

 

He unbuttoned her jeans and slithered his hand in the black silk panties he knew she was wearing, “I can always spare a few minutes for a quickie.”

 

 

She moaned as his fingers came in contact with her nether lips. “Don’t stop.”

 

 

They walked the short distance to the back of the couch, anticipation burning in his veins, needing her again and again, his hard cock chafing against his own underwear. He pushed her jeans and panties down and pulled his cock out. He pushed her against the back of the leather sofa, hands finding purchase in anticipation of what was to come, clothes pooled at her feet, her ass in the air, glistening with arousal. He wasted no time, one hand held tightly onto her waist, the other on her ass, he entered her in one swift move. She pushed back against him – she knew exactly what drove him mad. It was short and messy and wild – lewd noises bouncing off the walls, along with his grunts and her filthy encouraging words. They crashed in a matter of minutes, panting and sweaty, but satiated, at least for a while.

 

 

Jon had left shortly after their quickie, albeit reluctantly, to his parents’ house, where he would change into his tux and drive together with Sansa and Robb to the ball.

 

 

He used the excuse of parking the car, after he dropped them off in front of the opulent double doors of the villa, just so he could find respite in the cold evening breeze, even for a few moments. He leaned against the hood of his car, failing to not think about his brother. Maybe he had seemed more courageous than he was, for Dany’s sake and peace of mind, yet in the dark garden he wouldn’t dare deceive himself; the guilt was gnawing at him, at a slow yet persistent pace, never resting. Since seeing or talking to his brother only seemed to aggravate him, he had slowly pulled away, quite inconspicuously, thanks to their busy jobs and the long distance separating them.

 

 

He checked his watch – by now Dany should have already arrived – with one last big inhale, he pushed himself off the hood and slowly walked to the source of the increasingly louder music.

 

 

She took his breath away. There was no other description of what she did to him; he was hers to do with as she wished to, waiting for their lips to touch so she could imbue him with life again. She – a goddess; he – a mere mortal; and she looked the part – the dress seemed to had been stitched on her body, for there was no other way to explain how it faithfully followed the same curves and slopes Jon knew by heart now. She wore fresh flowers in her hair, and he smiled at the particular memory of a sleepless night, when he stayed up so they could video chat; her long hair was twisted into an intricate braid, courtesy of the Dothraki, small violet flowers scattered in it – Jon loved it, but he loved her smile even more, since that had been the first time since she had been in Essos that she was genuinely happy. 

 

 

The smile she was wearing on her lips was just a poor imitation of the real deal, he knew that; he saw it in the way she held her head up a bit higher, as if constantly trying to correct her posture, in the way she was swallowing hard, as if choking the words in her throat before they even had the chance to form. Disappointment flashed on her face as a server approached her, and he couldn’t stay away for much longer.

 

 

“Daenerys,” he tried so hard to seem nonchalant about it, though he knew she felt it too – the moment his fingers brushed her lower back, electricity coursing through them. _Others take him_ , it was a treacherous game that they were playing, and he would take all the risks just to touch her a moment longer; he leaned in, placing chaste kisses on her cheeks; her breath hitched, he smiled, then turned to the people around her, chatting about meaningless things, his hand still fused to her lower back.

 

 

Daario materialised in front of her – he fought against rolling his eyes when he asked her to dance. He tasted bile as she went into his arms, yet there was nothing he could do about it; to the rest of the world they didn’t belong to each other. He swiped a drink from a passing server, swallowing his jealousy and the need to yank her from Daario’s arms. Dany had told him how the wanker had been circling her like a vulture ever since third year, despite having refused his advances constantly.

 

 

She closed the distance between them, and he had to do something, anything – to keep seeing her in someone else’s arms. He drained his glass and left to grab another when he saw Sansa coming towards him; she was tipsy and very happy, so he pulled her on the dance floor. She was leaning hard on him, and he could faintly hear her ramblings – something about how he _‘never dances with her despite being a good dancer’_.

 

 

He led them closer to Daario – just out of his reach; Dany finally looked up at him, those big violet eyes giving him the illusion of a shared dance. His lips formed her name in a silent prayer; too soon, the spell was broken. He blinked and she was gone.

 

 

A few more notes ended the song and his torture. He fought against the need to run after her, walking slowly, hoping she had opted for some fresh air. There she was, her back straight, fists bunched in her dress, meticulously studying the fountain in front of her. He shrugged out of his coat and enveloped her in it. She didn’t move, not until he stood in front of her, leaning against the fence separating the bench and the fountain.

 

 

Jon fidgeted with his cufflinks, and without realising, he voiced his jealousy. “You looked like you were enjoying your dance… or the company.”

 

 

“Then you weren't paying attention,” she scoffed.

 

 

He gripped the fence, before he did something not meant to be seen by all the people still enjoying a cigarette not far from them. “I was. You know I was. I was paying so much attention that I couldn’t stay away,” he wanted to explain himself, but she interrupted him.

 

 

“I'm ok, as I've said. There's just so much I'd love to do – I'd love to dance with you, not imagine doing it while dancing with someone else; I'd love to be able to kiss you when I feel like it; I'd love to feel your arms settling in their rightful place – on me.”

 

 

Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, he felt she was plucking the words directly from his mind.

 

“You've ruined me for everyone else, Jon Snow. I can't even stomach someone else's hands on me.”

 

 

His heart stopped; he lunged, consequences be damned, just as he had that very first time on the balcony of the frat house, begging the Gods his kiss could convey how much he loved her. He cradled her face in his hands, slowly halting the kiss. She looked at him and he couldn’t help but smile, suddenly taken back to the chat they had after their first kiss. “Can't you see I'm done for? I don't think I could have escaped you even if I tried. Not that I tried...”

 

 

Their tight embrace was cut short by laughter coming from inside.

 

 

“Take me home. This dress was just for you – it's yours to admire, yours to feel, yours to rip off. All yours.”

 

 

Arousal was coursing freely through his veins, the thought of making her his in that perfect dress his only goal for the night. He stole a few more kisses before they started heading back inside.

 

 

“Go. I'll meet you back at your place.”

 

 

“Only if you say it first," he pleaded while leaning in to peck her right cheek.

 

 

And she did, “You're mine, Jon Snow. All mine.”

 

 

So lost they were in each other, that they failed to hear the noise of approaching steps from him.

 

 

“Tell me you were not just kissing my ex?!” Robb’s voice startled him. _No, this was not happening. Not like this._

 

 

“Robb, I-I can explain everything,” he put his hand forward, keeping him at a safe distance. He glanced at Dany, her face red and brows knitted together. Robb was fuming – suddenly all their petty childhood fights came to mind and he was crippled by guilt.

 

“Explain what, Jon? Do _not_ even try to deny it. I am a fool, but I am not fucking blind!” He was yelling now, his fists clenched so tightly by his sides, it made Jon involuntarily take a step back.

 

 

“Robb, this is neither the time nor place,” Margaery tried to placate him. He hadn’t even seen her appear.

 

 

He did the only thing he could do in that moment, he told the truth. “Of course I won’t deny it – I have been trying to tell you for a long time –”

 

 

“So this has been going on for a while? How could you hook up with _my_ ex? How could you _betray_ me like that?” Robb shook his head in disgust. “Last year when you two were acting close and being together all the time – you were lying to me? You lied to my face and made me feel like I was the insane one? I would _never_ do that to you,” Robb’s gruff voice boomed in the dark garden. He threw his hands up in frustration, “Hells, not even Theon hooks up with the girls I’d been with. And I return the same respect. We don’t do that.”

 

 

Something snapped in Jon at his brother’s words. “You did not just quote the fucking _bro code_ to me?” His hands were shaking, all his pent-up resentment and frustration bubbling and spilling over the edge. “Who made up that rule, Robb? Who decided that I should sacrifice my happiness just because you went out with her first?” All the bitterness over having been put in such a situation for the past year coming out all at once – there was no more dam, no more filter, no more pity for his brother. “If you're mad at me just because of some stupid made up rule that rests its entire basis on treating women like chattel, then you've been lying to yourself this entire time.”

 

 

“Guys, please,” he vaguely heard Marge pleading; or maybe it had been Dany – he couldn’t tell.

 

 

Robb roared, “She went out with _me_ first!”

 

 

“And she fucking dumped you!” Jon screamed back. “You acted like a jerk to her for months! _Months_ , Robb!”

 

 

“So you’re taking her side?”

 

 

“Are you even hearing yourself? That is beside the point,” Jon snarled.

 

 

“I trusted you! You are my own brother and my best friend. I would have never done that to you. _Never_ ,” Robb growled.

 

 

“You don’t know that. You would have just given up on the love of your life – just for me?”

 

 

“Do you even know what love is?” Robb shook his head.

 

 

“I so do! For months I've denied myself and avoided her just out of duty to you and those were the most miserable months in my fucking life. And when I realised she loved me back just as much… I couldn’t resist it any longer. We wanted to tell you, of course we did.” Jon swallowed thickly, trying hard to calm down. “But then she left and what was the point in telling you? She wanted to end things just so I wouldn’t have to feel like a complete shit every time I so much as looked at you…” he sighed, “But an entire year spent apart was not enough to dwindle our feelings. And I can’t... no, _I won’t_ let her go just because you met her first. What's done is done, and I can't go back and change it.”

 

 

Robb started pacing. Jon could tell he was still furious by the way he kept massaging his temples and pacing. “How long? Were you together when she was with me?”

 

 

“Oh for fuck’s sake how could we? I didn't even know her then. We got together at the last party we had at the frat house. The one you made us all attend.”

 

 

He finally stopped pacing and turned to face him, “I don't think I can ever look at you again.”

 

 

“Robb, you are being dramatic. Let’s talk, please,” Margaery tried.

 

 

“I don’t want to talk, and I don’t want to see you ever again,” he yelled. “Enjoy your fucking relationship knowing that everything you're doing with her I did too.”

 

 

And there it was – the drop that caused the spill over – he punched him in his stupid face.  Robb’s head snapped back at the impact, a short and swift electricity pulse coursed through his entire hand. Two arms grabbed him, preventing him from getting in a second blow. The adrenaline drowned the noise; he felt his heart’s accelerated rhythm pulsing in his temples.

 

 

“–what are you, children?” Marge pulled on Robb, who was now holding the left side of his face. She finished scolding them and pulled his brother deeper in the gardens.

 

 

He was being pulled in the opposite direction – they rushed through the sea of people and finally made it to the parking lot. Dany pushed him in the passenger seat, without looking at him. If she was mad at him, he couldn’t tell. She circled the car, took off her heels and threw them in the backseat, then gracefully arranged herself and her long dress behind the wheel. Robb’s words played on a loop in his mind, taunting him; he touched his forehead to the cold window, closing his eyes. As the adrenaline wore off, his right hand’s knuckles started throbbing, pain emanating from the spot that had made direct contact with Robb’s jaw, and with each throb, guilt and regret chased away his rage. He flexed his fingers, in hopes of at least a small amount of relief, yet none came. He was fighting to stay awake, as if he hadn’t slept in days.

 

 

They spoke no words, but somehow it was decided to give Robb some space to think. Back in his dark flat, Dany cleaned up his knuckles, as they wallowed in their culpability and helplessness; he took all the flowers and pins from her hair, one by one, no words needed – just whiskey. He knew exactly what she was thinking, unfortunately neither had words to soothe the other. He held her in his arms, only their whispered _‘I love you’_ -s breaking the comfortable silence before they fell asleep.

 

 

They were startled awake by the intercom; Jon rubbed the exhaustion from his face, cringing at the soreness in his right arm. He made his way to the front door, leaving Dany behind to get dressed. On the other side, Robb was waiting, his jaw set, the tux from last night looking slept in, his bowtie hanging loose around the collar. Jon opened the door all the way, then turned to the bar to pull two glasses and the heavy bottle of whiskey, now just half-full, from the cupboard. Robb gave him a slight nod, so he started pouring. He wasn’t doing it intentionally, at least that’s what he thought, just as it had been with Dany, he didn’t know what to say to Robb either. So they sat – him on the couch he had made love to Dany on so many times in the past week – Robb, opposite him, on the armchair. An hour, or a minute, or an entire year could’ve passed, he couldn’t tell; they continued nursing their drinks, the slow tick-tock of the big wall clock matching their breaths.

 

 

Robb finally cleared his throat, “I owe you an apology, Daenerys too.” His brother still wasn’t looking him in the eye. “Truth is, I deserved that punch. I shouldn’t have said what I did, and I hope both of you can forgive my outburst. I had nothing but malicious intentions when I said it.”

 

 

“Apology accepted,” Dany spoke from the bedroom threshold.

 

 

If Robb was surprised to see Dany there, he didn’t show it.

 

 

“Likewise,” Jon added.

 

 

“I think it is now our turn to apologise and do what we should have probably done a long time ago,” Dany said, sitting on the sofa next to him, but at a comfortable distance, enough for him to reach and take her hand in his. Jon let Dany take the lead, only adding information where more was needed. They told him how Jon had no idea about him and Dany, how they met the first time and how Jon wanted to take her on a date, how they discovered that they had Robb in common; how they agreed that they should stay away from each other for his sake, how, clearly, they were not meant to happen – to which Robb had shifted uncomfortably in his chair – how circumstances pushed them to spend time together and how they became best friends, despite their initial resistance; how Jon had finally kissed her at the last frat party and how she freaked out; how they wanted to tell him but they just didn’t because of exams; how she had to leave and they didn’t see any sense in telling him at that point; and lastly, how they had decided just the week prior to tell him and the others after Sansa’s graduation ball.

 

 

He listened, without interrupting, until they finished their story. “So, when I asked you if there was something going on between the two of you–”

 

 

“–there was nothing between us at that time, I wasn’t lying to you, not then,” Jon reassured him with a grimace.

 

 

“You could have told me last year, when you… after you kissed.”

 

 

“Could I? Because it didn’t seem like that to me,” Jon sighed, tired and exasperated. “Ever since I came back home you had been going on and on about Dany, it was like an obsession, Robb. You can’t hold it against me that I had to pause and think, and I didn’t come running to you to confess.”

 

 

“Truth is, we didn’t know how you’d react… we-we were concerned, and maybe we deluded ourselves,” Dany added, “or maybe we weren’t being totally honest with ourselves…” she glanced at Jon.

 

 

_Were they?_ Jon couldn’t help but ask himself. _Had they been just using sparing Robb’s feelings as an excuse to avoid this difficult conversation?_ The two truths meshed together so easily, it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other started.

 

Robb finished his whiskey and fidgeted with the glass, “Why did you kiss her at that party? Why not before?”

 

 

The entire exchange felt like a witness cross-examination, yet Jon would humour his brother, just this once, if it meant they could move on and that he could accept what was happening.

 

 

He cleared his throat, “It-it was something she said,” her candid confession replaying in his mind. He saw Dany slightly smiling – and he wondered whether she was also remembering that same night. “Robb, I didn’t plan on it. I was very much in love with her already, as much as I was fighting it, it was that moment that something just… changed. I gave up fighting and for once in my life I did something selfish.” He remembered how everyday was like swimming against a current which only grew stronger, and how liberated he felt to give in, to let himself be carried by it.

 

 

“I was the one who convinced Jon not to tell you by himself. Maybe, in the back of my mind, I was afraid that Jon and I wouldn’t work out… and I guess I didn’t see the point of him telling you if we were never meant to be together,” Dany offered, sensing this was what Robb would ask next.

 

 

When she avoided his gaze, he couldn’t resist and reached for her hand to give her a reassuring squeeze. He knew it had been one of her fears; it had also been his – but now he knew just how much their relationship could endure. Robb got up to serve himself some more whiskey. Dany let go of Jon’s hand and went to pour the rest of the bottle in their glasses.

 

 

Dany inquired, almost too softly for them to hear, “I have to ask, why is it so hard for you to let go?”

 

 

His brother returned to the seat he previously occupied, “For the longest time I pretended to not know, I guess it was easier to just say that rather than admit the issue lied within me.” He swished the whiskey in the glass, avoiding their eyes, “It’s no secret you’re insanely beautiful, Daenerys, and we both know that is the reason why I started hanging out with you – I never lied about my intentions. When you refused me the first time, I… it was a surprise, since – this is going to sound cocky – no one had ever told me ‘no’ before. Maybe something clicked and I took it as a personal challenge to get you to say yes,” he groaned, closing his eyes and sighed. “This is making me sound like the biggest jerk on Planetos.”

 

 

Dany chuckled, “Kind of, but I know you’re actually a good guy.”

 

 

Robb shook his head, “Anyway… somehow it worked – I guess you must have been tired by me,” he looked up and gave her a lopsided smile, “and I felt like it had been such a win for me. What took me so long to admit was that we weren’t the best together. We didn’t fight or anything, it was almost on the verge of… boring.”

 

 

Dany burst into laughter so hard, she was hugging herself. His eyes locked with Robb’s and they joined her in the ridiculousness of the situation. She finally settled, “Thank you for that, I am glad you feel the same. Oh Robb, we were so dull together, there was no passion, nothing,” she said, wiping tears from her face.

 

 

“ _Passionless_ is the word for it, I can see that now. It takes one to know one,” he smiled looking at Jon this time. “Never has the saying _‘be careful what you wish for’_ been more appropriate, honestly. Despite the… _dullness_ , I didn’t want to see it for what it was, not at that time. When you dumped me, it hurt – I’ll have you know, I had never been dumped before. And before you start laughing–” he cut Dany off, just as it seemed she was about to make fun of him “–you’ve only been just my third official girlfriend. All the other girls were mostly flings, I don’t count them as girlfriends.” He finished his drink and continued, “I was hurt, and I saw it as a personal failure – I couldn’t wrap my head around it.”

 

 

“Why didn’t you just stop? Sansa told you it wasn’t ok to insist, Sam did it do; Seven hells, even I did it at one point,” Jon asked.

 

 

“There was a point I thought I had gotten over her, but then I saw you two being all chummy together… I am not proud of it, but I was jealous,” he sighed. “Seeing you together last night… I just lost it. I felt betrayed and hurt, and I resented you both for lying to me, especially Jon – because I had asked him, and he said there was nothing between you. And now I have ruined everything.”

 

 

It finally dawned on Jon that something was amiss – he had taken Robb’s state as entirely due to their fight, but that was mostly resolved, _right?_ It was Dany who voiced his concerns.

 

 

“What do you mean?”

 

 

He dragged his hands over his face, “It’s Marge, she is so pissed at me. I think she wants nothing to do with me. She thinks I still have feelings for you, after last night…”

 

 

_What did Margaery have to do with this mess?_ Jon wondered.

 

 

Dany went to his side to comfort him, “I can’t blame Margey for thinking that, but you two just need to talk. Just tell her what you told us, and she’ll see you mean it.”

 

 

“Am I missing something?” Jon couldn’t wait anymore.

 

 

“Umm, I have been sort of dating Marge for the past few months.”

 

 

If Jon didn’t know any better, he could have sworn his brother blushed. “Really? Margaery Tyrell? And you?”

 

 

Robb chuckled, “Yeah… the things I had to do to make her even _consider_ dating me…” he shook his head incredulously. “Alright,” he stood, “I need to go beg her to take me back before she tells her Grandma we’re over; that lady scares me – she could probably have me killed if she hears I hurt Marge.”

 

 

“Sorry for punching you, I hope it doesn’t hurt anymore,” Jon said, scanning his brother’s face for hints of bruising.

 

 

“I deserved it. You throw a mean punch; thank the gods the beard is concealing it well.”

 

 

Jon had wanted to apologise, but his brother stopped him before he even uttered the words, saying that there was nothing to apologise for. They hugged and Robb left to beg Margaery to forgive him; according to Dany, she would make him work for it, but _‘she would most definitely take him back’_.

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

Dany had been sitting in a corner of the big Stark mansion, quietly watching her friends while drinking her dark ale. She was trying to soak in as much as she could, not knowing when they would be able to meet like this again. A peck to her temple startled her.

 

 

“You ok?”

 

 

“Never been better.”

 

 

He smiled and kissed her again, “Dance with me,” Jon asked.

 

 

Heart to heart, foreheads together, they swayed to the slow tune, just the two of them. Jon chuckled softly as he nuzzled her nose.

 

 

“It’s the damned song again.” At her confused expression, he continued, “The one playing when you were dancing with Daario. Except this time, I get to hold you in front of everyone.” He leaned in to whisper, “You're mine, Daenerys Targaryen. All mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was it. Thank you for reading, for your support and faith in me. I appreciate all your comments, and kudos too! I used to be a lurker myself, a bit over a year ago, then finally got an account and started commenting. Somehow, I turned into a writer, and I am so blown away by the answer! Thank you so much! Thank you also to everyone who DM-ed me on tumblr, and to the anons that were so interested in this fic last week - you made me write faster, more, better. Thank you! 
> 
> All the love and the thanks to my bishes, your support means the world <3 and I would have never finished this without your *loving* nudging (ugh please don't ask me about demon!Jon, *doesn't know her*).
> 
> Huge thank you to [atetheredmind](https://archiveofourown.org/users/atetheredmind/pseuds/atetheredmind) \- I owe you so much, for real. Your support for my first chapter was incredible, and your friendship means a lot to me <3 thank you! 
> 
> I was bitchin' on [tumblr](http://adecila.tumblr.com/) how when I finally had the time to sit down and write this chapter, nothing was working for me - so I started this joke with [revesle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/revesle/pseuds/revesle) (because she was also struggling with her WIP) that our muses met each other, fell in love and got hitched, and they're currently on some beach, fucking their brains out. However, my muse one day let revesle's muse sleep for 12 hours and she wrote and wrote and somehow she got to 7.6k! I guess now she's going back to fucking and sunbathing, so I don't know when I am posting next...
> 
> Stay tuned, his that subscribe button next to my username, and maybe demon!Jon is next, or maybe I have something else coming… 
> 
> Until next time,  
> Alice

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is probably not everyone's cup of tea. You'll probably have some questions, but before you ask, I want to say that I specifically left out a lot of back story, I left it with an open ending... just in case my muse decides to strike again. I guess? Or maybe because the back story doesn't matter too much. 
> 
> A big thanks to Amy, because she was the one to convince me to post it. Otherwise I would have probably shared it with... 10 people max.


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